TOPEKA — Kansas legislators have drafted a new and larger plan for raising income taxes to fix the state budget after top Republicans abruptly dropped one negotiated earlier.
House and Senate negotiators agreed Tuesday evening on a plan to raise more than $1 billion over two years by rolling back past income tax cuts championed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.
The same negotiators drafted a proposal Monday worth $879 million over two years. But Senate GOP leaders abandoned plans for an expedited vote when support for it collapsed.
Democrats and moderate Republicans said Monday’s plan didn’t raise enough new revenue to cover budget shortfalls and provide additional funds for public schools.
Kansas faces budget shortfalls totaling $887 million through June 2019 and the Kansas Supreme Court has said education funding is inadequate.
