The Kansas Senate today rejected Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ $304 million tax increase for public schools.

The 25-14 vote against the measure followed nearly three hours of debate on Wednesday.

Supporters of the bill described it as a reasonable plan to start the discussion on school finance.

“This is the best offer currently available,” state Sen. Christine Downey, a Democrat from Inman, said.

But opponents said the tax increases would wreck the economy.

“This tax increase is too much too soon,” state Sen. Les Donovan, R-Wichita, said.

Sebelius had proposed increasing state income, sales and property taxes to fund a $304 million increase to schools over three years.

Under her proposal, the Lawrence school district would receive $2.1 million in additional state funding for the 2004-05 school year, according to state officials.

Nine Democrats and five Republicans, including state Sen. Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence, supported Sebelius’ plan.

The 25 votes against the measure were all cast by Republicans. One Democratic state senator didn’t vote.

The debate over taxes and schools comes at the crossroads of an election year and a district court decision that declared that Kansas schools were unconstitutionally under-funded, and that the method of funding discriminated against minority students.

State District Court Judge Terry Bullock ordered the Legislature to fix the finance system, indicating that a $1 billion funding increase was needed.

State Sen. David Adkins, R-Leawood, voted for Sebelius’ plan, saying the Legislature’s effort on school finance has been “denial, delay and demagoguery.”

But state Sen. Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, voted against the measure, saying better proposals would be coming down the pike.

Sebelius said she would continue working on school finance. “The cost of yet another year of inaction is too high,” she said.

For more on this story, come back to LJWorld.com and pick up a copy of Friday’s Journal-World.