Kansas Governor Sam Brownback delivered his final State of the State Address Tuesday evening.

The speech for the term-limited Governor, who has also been nominated by President Trump for an ambassadorship, focused on several main topics. Most notably was education.

The governor said “we have received the decree of the Kansas Supreme Court and are putting forth a proposal to comply, as we have done with the prior decisions.”

The Governor’s budget is recommending an additional six-hundred million dollars in funding over the next five years.  He said this multi-year approach will provide the time necessary for school districts to plan and spend this additional money more effectively. The proposal does not include a tax increase.

Along with the funding increase Brownback also outlined a set of goals.

The governor then urged the legislature to begin the process of changing the Kansas constitution to change how education funding is determined.

Brownback ended the speech by talking about his dreams for Kansas. He concluded with a call for unity.

 

It is anticipated that Brownback will not finish out his final term as governor.  President Trump is formally renominating him to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The governor was originally nominated for the position last July, but he did not receive a confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate before the end of the year.