Is there a major change coming to Kansas, in the way the state’s budget is crafted, revised and then voted on?

According to newly reelected Republican State Representative Clarke Sanders of the 69th District, those conversations are already taking place in Topeka.

Sanders joined in on the KSAL Morning News Extra and says there is an interim committee working on flipping the process from a Governor generated budget – to one crafted by the Kansas Legislature.

 

The question remains, would more input from all parts of the state at the front end of the process – lead to a logjam?

 

According to the Kansas Legislative Research Department:

The Kansas budget is an executive budget in that the budgetary recommendations of the Governor are embodied in the appropriation bills, which are introduced and considered by the Legislature.

Since 1974, a consensus approach involving the legislative and executive branches (Division of the Budget, KLRD, the Department of Revenue, and one consulting economist each from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University) has been utilized for estimating revenues to the SGF. These consensus estimates are used by both the Governor and the Legislature to formulate and approve budget requests. The law requires on or before December 4 and April 20, the Director of the Budget and the Director of Legislative Research to prepare a joint estimate of revenue to the SGF for the current and ensuing fiscal year.