Gov. Bill Graves and three former Kansas governors will discuss the state’s budget crisis during a conference Oct. 17 at Kansas University.

Graves will be joined by Mike Hayden, John Anderson Jr. and William Avery during a roundtable at the Kansas Economic Policy Conference.

Richard Norton Smith, director of the Dole Institute of Politics, said the governors would bring a different perspective than other economic experts scheduled to speak at the conference.

“They’d have the perspective of history, of their own experience,” Smith said. “Secondly, none of them is running for anything. That alone should encourage candor.”

The panel discussion will begin at 8:15 a.m. in the Kansas Union. It is free and open to the public, but advance tickets can be picked up at the Policy Research Institute, KU Continuing Education, the Lied Center and Student Union Activities. Registration for the remainder of the conference is $95, due Thursday.

The keynote speaker is Robert Tannenwald, assistant vice president and economist in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He’ll compare and contrast the Kansas economic situation with that of other states.

Call 864-5823 for more information.