Kansas children’s activists push back on Brownback’s budget transfers

TOPEKA – Children’s advocates are pushing back against a move to transfer funds out of the Kansas Endowment for Youth Fund to fill state budget shortfalls.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposed budget would transfer $31.8 million from the fund into the general state budget over the next three fiscal years. Kansas Budget Director Shawn Sullivan told the House Appropriation Committee Wednesday that the transfers would not cause cuts to programs and would tap only into excess funds.

But Shannon Cotsoradis, CEO of the Kansas Action for Children, testified that because of the fund’s fluctuating revenue stream, early education programs could be cut at short notice if the funds were transferred.

She said the transfers would also deplete the fund at a time its revenues are projected to drop overall.

This story was originally published January 21, 2015 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Kansas children’s activists push back on Brownback’s budget transfers."