TOPEKA — Kansas is reporting that it collected $37 million more in taxes than anticipated in February.
The Department of Revenue’s report Wednesday is good news for legislators and Republican Gov. Sam Brownback as they deal with the state’s budget problems. It lessens pressure for immediate spending cuts.
The department said the state took in nearly $332 million in taxes when the state had projected collections of $295 million. The monthly surplus is 12.5 percent.
It was the fourth consecutive month tax collections exceeded expectations. But revenues are being compared against a revised and more pessimistic fiscal forecast issued in November.
The state still faces a projected shortfall of $281 million in its current budget and gaps in spending for existing programs exceeding $1 billion through June 2019.
