Topeka ? A proposed $10.2 billion budget for state government advanced out of a Senate committee Friday after members modified Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ proposal for programs serving young children.

The budget drafted by the Ways and Means Committee contains dozens of additions, small decreases and shifts in spending. It would hold overall spending flat for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It also endorses many of Sebelius’ recommendations for individual agencies and programs.

However, the committee did not fully endorse the governor’s proposal to add $6.8 million to Smart Start programs, which provide such services as day care and parent education in 19 counties to families with children 5 or under.

The state currently spends $3.2 million on Smart Start programs, and Sebelius’ plan would raise that amount to $10 million. The Senate committee’s budget would set the amount at $9.5 million and allocate $500,000 for services for infants and toddlers and programs to help pregnant women quit smoking.

The committee also inserted a requirement in the bill that the State Finance Council — the governor and the Legislature’s top leaders — review how the additional Smart Start funds will be used before they can be spent.

“It’s a pretty sizable increase,” said committee Chairman Steve Morris, R-Hugoton. “In an era of very tight budgets, there a concern that we want to know the results that Smart Start is giving us.”

The committee’s 10-1 vote sent the proposed budget to the Senate for debate next week. The House also is expected to debate a proposed budget next week.

Neither the House nor the Senate committees’ proposals resolve education or transportation funding issues, the two biggest budget issues of the session. Legislative leaders have assumed those decisions will be made just before the session adjourns in early May.

Senate budget plan is SB 538.

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Kansas Legislature: http://www.kslegislature.org