Kansas budget talks resuming after bleak revenue report

Kansas legislators negotiating on budget issues are whittling away at their differences after majority Republicans cast aside a bleak revenue report.

Three senators and three House members were resuming talks Thursday on spending for the fiscal year beginning July 1. They hadn’t resolved funding for the state prison system or whether state workers will get a pay raise.

Their work Wednesday was overshadowed by a report from the state Department of Revenue that tax collections for the month totaled $92 million less than expected. Officials cited changes in the federal tax code on capital gains and other income.

But Republicans brushed aside doubts raised by the new figures. They argued that the state’s cash reserves will act as a cushion and any fallout can be dealt with next year.

This story was originally published May 1, 2014 at 7:19 AM with the headline "Kansas budget talks resuming after bleak revenue report."