Douglas County legislators are frustrated with the lack of progress toward improving funding for public education and dealing with other budgetary issues.

“At this point we can’t even have an honest debate,” Rep. Tom Holland said during Saturday’s Capital Connections breakfast forum at the Hereford House, 4931 W. Sixth St. “I’m just fearful that there is no political will to have an honest airing of the issues and a debate.”

Holland, a Baldwin Democrat, was referring to House Republicans who last week used a parliamentary move to stop debate about an amended version of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ education proposal. Sebelius wants to increase state sales, income and property taxes to fund a $304 million increase in school financing over three years.

The amendment had bipartisan support, including from Johnson County Republicans.

Some legislators were looking at other funding proposals, said Reps. Barbara Ballard and Paul Davis, both Lawrence Democrats. Ballard described the school funding situation as “chaotic and very complicated.”

Added Lawrence Republican Sen. Mark Buhler: “It’s a mess. Nobody’s got a plan.”

On the table for the Senate are two issues that generated headlines last week in the House: a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that bans same-sex marriage and a bill that allows Kansans to carry concealed weapons.

Buhler said he didn’t support the conceal-carry bill.

Buhler also said he would take a look at the constitutional amendment but didn’t think he’d be interested in it. He and most other local legislators have said they don’t think the amendment is necessary because state law forbids same-sex marriage, and there is no sign of a movement to challenge it in the courts.

Ballard reiterated her opposition to a constitutional amendment on same-sex marriage.

“Americans want to protect marriage but they also want to protect individual rights,” she said.

It’s a subject Davis thinks will be discussed for a long time.

“I think it will be the civil rights issue of this century,” Davis said.

Legislators noted that they have a long way to go to solve the state’s key woes.

“I have to keep talking to myself to be patient,” Buhler said.

The Capital Connections forums are sponsored by the World Company, which publishes the Journal-World, and SBC.