TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is preparing to give his annual State of the State address to a less-friendly Legislature amid serious budget problems.
The Republican governor was scheduled to speak Tuesday evening to a joint session of the GOP-controlled House and Senate.
The address gives Brownback a chance to outline his agenda for the 90-day legislative session and tout his policies.
But Kansas is facing projected budget shortfalls totaling $1.1 billion through June 2019. Elections last year left the Legislature less conservative as voters ousted two dozen Brownback allies.
The state has struggled to balance its budget since Republican legislators slashed income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at Brownback’s urging. The goal was to stimulate the economy but even some GOP voters concluded that the effort had been a bust.
