TheChat: Kansas revenue might soon be off by more than $100 million

Here we go.

▪ “I’m concerned that we could be in the 9-digit range of being more than $100 million off of estimates by the end of this year.” — Sen. Michael O’Donnell, a Wichita Republican, forecasting the size of the Kansas budget deficit.

The state is already more than $42 million short for the first three months of the fiscal year. Even though Gov. Sam Brownback has said he won’t have to cut the budget more to balance it, O’Donnell predicted otherwise.

▪ “He didn’t necessarily fully support me.” — Dennis Taylor, a former secretary of administration under Brownback, referring to a lack of backing from the governor as the reason for his departure from state government.

Turns out that Brownback is said not to be crazy about internal conflict, and Taylor created some of that in his bid to shake things up and consolidate services inside the agency. Eight of Brownback’s 11 cabinet secretaries have departed since the governor came into office in 2011.

▪ “A policy wonk is the antithesis of what is needed for the speaker’s job.” — Janice Pierce, 61, a constituent of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, predicting that Ryan ultimately won’t run for House speaker.

The Ryan waiting game continues. Pierce makes a good point and adds that conservatives would run him out of office within three months if he takes the job. Hard-liners “don’t want affable. They want a fighter,” she said.

▪ “All the energy is with Bernie.” — a major backer of Hillary Clinton fretting about the dynamics of the Democratic presidential race.

Major donors also like red meat, and they want to see Clinton bring more energy to the race — much the same way that some top Republicans want to see more juice from Jeb Bush.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 10:32 PM.