TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Lawmakers have decided not to investigate an incorrect figure that led Gov. Sam Brownback to make erroneous claims about state spending under his Democratic predecessor.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the Legislative Post Audit Committee rejected the audit request Friday on a 5-4 party line. The vote followed a harsh debate over the integrity of the Republican governor and Budget Director Steve Anderson.
Anderson offered his resignation after the $2 billion error on a spreadsheet found its way into a chart the governor used to claim credit for spending cuts that never happened. Brownback declined to accept the resignation.
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley requested the audit, saying the error caused a “serious misrepresentation of the truth.” Republican Sen. Julia Lynn, of Olathe, said the request was politically motivated.
