Topeka — Senate Democrats have found plenty to dislike in a Republican budget plan, but they are not sure they can prevent it from getting out of committee.
The plan is designed to balance the budget for the state's 2003 fiscal year without increasing taxes. The state faces a projected $426 million gap between expected revenues and spending commitments for fiscal 2003.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee was to begin hearings today. The proposal was drafted by Chairman Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and Senate President Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson, who also serves on the committee.
Morris and Kerr want the committee to act quickly, to allow debate by the full Senate next week.
Because Republicans have eight of 11 seats on the committee, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley said Monday he believes an endorsement is all but guaranteed.
"I would think at this point, it would probably be meaningless to try to do anything with it in committee," said Hensley, D-Topeka, whose party is outnumbered in the Senate 30-10.
The Kerr-Morris plan is an alternative to Gov. Bill Graves' proposal to raise $228 million by increasing cigarette, sales and motor fuels taxes and vehicle registration fees. Graves has argued that increases are needed to avoid cuts in education and social service programs.
Kerr and Morris propose to cut the current $4.5 billion budget by about $85 million, or 1.9 percent and then freeze spending for fiscal 2003. The result would be a state budget slightly smaller than the one in place for the state's 2001 fiscal year, which ended June 30.
Most agencies would have their current budgets cut 2 percent, then frozen. Spending on public schools and higher education would be cut only 1.2 percent, however.
Kerr and Morris also would dip into the state's rainy day funds for $104 million and divert $20.6 million from the state's 1998 legal settlement with tobacco companies, used now for children's programs.
Hensley said Democrats object because of the cuts in education and social service programs.
But he added: "I doubt there will be much tinkering. It seems to me Republicans are pretty sold on what needs to be done."
Morris said the committee hearings give agency officials and advocates a chance to "take dead aim at us." However, Morris said time is short if legislators decide they want to cut the current budget.
"In order to make a rescission work, you have to have it finished as quickly as possible," Morris said.
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