Topeka ? A bill that would cut state spending immediately is dead. Senate Republican leaders called off debate on the bill just hours before it was to begin Tuesday afternoon because they didn’t think the bill had enough support to pass.

“This train won’t be back in the station again this session,” said Senate President Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson.

The bill would have cut about $54 million, or 1.2 percent, from the current $4.5 billion budget. Public schools would be spared, but corrections, higher education and social services spending would be reduced.

Republican leaders expected no votes for the bill from the 10 Senate Democrats, who have said they don’t support the immediate cuts.

Some Republicans also opposed the cuts. They included Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, whose district includes Kansas University.

“I cannot support the cuts to higher education and social services,” she said. “There wasn’t much wiggle room in this budget to begin with. To make cuts now would have a devastating effect.”

Praeger also said the cuts would have affected home and community services for the disabled and elderly, which would have resulted in more people going into more expensive nursing home care.

“We are just sometimes penny wise and pound foolish,” Praeger said.

But Sen. Dwayne Umbarger, R-Thayer, who had planned to vote against the bill, left a Tuesday-morning GOP meeting less certain that he would oppose the measure. He said he’s still nervous because he believes the state should increase taxes and wants assurances that new revenues will be raised.

“Some of us are wanting more time to digest this,” he said. “I, for one, am not really ready to commit.”

The cuts in the bill would have been carried over into the state’s 2003 fiscal year, which begins July 1. The legislation is part of efforts to eliminate a projected $426 million gap between expected revenues and spending commitments for fiscal 2003.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee had a hearing Monday on another part of budget-balancing efforts, a bill to allow the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to impose fees for services to children.

Some parents and advocates for the disabled and mentally ill are concerned about the measure.

SRS officials estimate the agency could raise $1.7 million for fiscal 2003. The agency has not proposed a schedule of fees yet.

But critics say the fees would keep some parents from seeking services for their children, or make those services too expensive for families already facing extraordinary costs in caring for disabled or mentally ill youngsters.

The committee postponed a scheduled vote because members had too many questions.

In other action Monday:

The Senate committee redrawing Kansas’ four congressional districts found itself has six proposed maps to consider.

By a 6-4 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed a bill that would permit no-fault divorce only for couples with no dependent children still living at home.

The Senate passed a bill, 37-3, giving school boards more power, but the chairman of the House Education Committee called it “an abomination before the Lord.”

A resolution supporting oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was endorsed by the House Utilities Committee.

Scott Rothschild, Journal-World writer, contributed information to this story.