Legislature delays budget decisions until wrap-up session: "
The clock ticks away on the 2010 legislative session, and Kansas lawmakers have yet to figure out an exit strategy that eliminates a massive budget deficit.
As a result, for the first time in anyone’s memory, lawmakers will leave town this week for a three-week spring break without passing an appropriations bill for the next fiscal year. Instead, they’ll leave the heavy lifting to a wrap-up session that begins April 28.
Because this wrap-up session will be so freighted with big decisions, it’s likely lawmakers will leave a little early this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday. That will save two days that can be used during wrap-up.
Typically wrap-up sessions last three to five days as lawmakers put the finishing touches on legislation. But this year could be a lot longer — two weeks, many lawmakers predict. Senate Vice President John Vratil, a Leawood Republican, even said this weekend that a special session could be in the cards.
Why so painful this year? The gulf between lawmakers who would cut spending and lawmakers who would raise taxes remains nearly as wide as it was in January. A Senate budget plan would require some tax hikes to eliminate the $467 million deficit. The House plan opts for cuts instead.
Neither chamber has de-bated its budget bill, however. The House hoped to do so last week, but it was clear the leg-islation lacked sufficient support. Now there’s word the entire bill may be scrapped — or at least tuned up — before it hits the floor during wrap-up.
"(Via Wichitopekington.)
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