Topeka ? Legislation that sacrifices a promised drop in sales taxes to preserve the state’s comprehensive transportation plan won House approval on a 119-6 vote Tuesday.

The bill would shore up the plan adopted in 1999 through a combination of federal funds, $395 million set aside from state sales tax revenue and up to $150 million in bonds.

State transportation officials have said they would start canceling projects contained in the 1999 plan unless legislators found more money this year. The House bill now heads to the Senate, where a similar measure has won committee endorsement.

Both chambers’ bills depend on keeping Kansas’ sales tax at 5.3 percent, rather than letting it revert to 5 percent in mid-2006 as legislators had promised when they raised it two years ago to help balance the budget.

House Taxation Committee Chairman John Edmonds cited the sales tax pledge Tuesday in explaining why he voted against the transportation bill.

“If you make a promise to taxpayers, you’re well-advised to keep it,” Edmonds, R-Great Bend, said after the vote.

Senate President Dave Kerr said making the higher sales tax permanent was preferable to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ approach to funneling money into transportation.

Kerr pointed out that the Democratic governor had proposed setting aside $264 million in sales tax revenues and issuing $465 million in bonds — more than three times the debt in the Republicans’ bills.

“It’s a matter of trying to find ways to maintain the commitments we made to our communities without mortgaging our future,” said Kerr, R-Hutchinson.

The House bill assumes that Kansas will receive $300 million in federal highway funds over six years. Should the actual amount be smaller, the bill authorizes an additional $90 million in bonds.

The version endorsed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee does not allow for the additional bonding.

Transportation Secretary Deb Miller has said if no bill passes this year, she will have to cancel $150 million worth of projects this summer and an additional $100 million each year into 2008.

——

Transportation funding is HB 2918, Sub for SB 515.