Kansas House Looks at School. Spending Delay as Budget Stop Gap

(AP) – A Kansas House committee has modified a proposal from Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to delay providing some funds to school districts for four months.

The Appropriations Committee began work Thursday on a bill that would close a projected $279 million shortfall in the current state budget.

Brownback’s budget-balancing plan relies most heavily on diverting funds for highway projects and other special funds into the state’s main bank account, which has the projected deficit.

But Brownback also hoped to avoid a mid-February cash crunch for the state by delaying $45 million in payments to schools for building repairs and equipment until June.

The committee voted to delay only $20 million in payments.