Topeka ? A pessimistic Gov. Bill Graves said Thursday there was a strong chance he would have to summon the Legislature into special session, possibly in late June, to get a state budget he would sign.

Graves told reporters he didn’t believe enough legislators were ready now to draft a budget for the fiscal year that July 1, or to approve tax increases to fund it.

“I’m not sure yet anybody’s got the guts to do anything,” Graves told reporters. “There’s just a lot of posturing going on.”

The House and Senate recessed at the end of last week and are to reconvene May 1, with May 11 their target date for wrapping up business. Legislative leaders could not be located or did not return phone calls Thursday seeking reaction to Graves’ statements.

The state must eliminate a projected $700 million gap between expected revenues and required spending. Both chambers have approved budget plans with revenue shortfalls, and neither has approved any tax increases.

Conservative legislators have maintained the state could balance the budget by cutting spending and using more than $200 million from reserve funds.

Graves opposes use of the reserves, saying they are needed to pay bills while government waits for tax revenues.

Graves has proposed $364 million in tax increases, but the House has rejected every tax proposal put before it and the Senate hasn’t debated the matter.

As if to underscore the seriousness of the state’s financial situation, Graves said the state delayed an aid payment to public schools for the third time in five months because it didn’t have enough cash. School districts were shorted $33 million this week.

Asked when the payment would be made, State Budget Director Duane Goossen said, “We hope next week. We’re not sure.”

House and Senate negotiators planned to begin talks Tuesday on the final version of the budget.

But Rep. Laura McClure, D-Osborne, told The Hays Daily News that “it’s going to take a miracle” to resolve budget issues.

“We have to get serious,” she said. “I don’t know what they think these people out here are going to do just sit here and wait? I just don’t understand.”

In Topeka, Sen. Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, said Graves simply was warning lawmakers that “there is an enormous amount of work to be done.”

“The governor just reminded us what the consequences are if we can’t get our work done on time,” he said.

Graves said he expects legislators to “sit a while” when they return as they try to solve the budget crisis.

“The conclusion of this session, at the moment, is a mystery to me,” he said. “I think the special session there is a pretty good chance there will be one.”

He added: “They should not take me for granted.”

A special session would be the first since December 1989, and it would cost taxpayers at least $50,000 a day.

Both the House and Senate budget plans would use more than $100 million from the reserves. The House plan is $106 million short of balancing, while the Senate proposal leaves a $306 million gap.