Topeka ? The Senate approved a bill late Friday night to use bonds, federal funds and sales tax revenues to protect transportation projects from being canceled.

The vote was 30-10. Drafted by Republican leaders, the plan would permit the state to issue up to $150 million in bonds, then set aside $395 million in sales tax revenues over three years.

The goal is to shore up the state’s 10-year comprehensive transportation program, enacted in 1999. The GOP plan assumes the state will receive $300 million in additional federal funds over six years.

The House approved its own version of the bill Tuesday. It also contained the GOP plan, but members added a provision to allow the state to issue an additional $90 million in bonds if federal funds fell short of expectations.

“We’ll negotiate on it,” said Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Les Donovan, R-Wichita. “We’ll come out with a program that will serve the people well.”

But Sen. Jim Barone, D-Frontenac, said the Senate’s bill should include a similar provision for additional bonds. He offered an amendment, but it failed on a voice vote.

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

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.

Sen. Mark Buhler, R-Lawrence, sports a Kansas University logo as he listens to debate on the floor of the Senate at the Statehouse in Topeka. Buhler showed his support for the Jayhawks on Friday, before Kansas' 100-74 NCAA Tournament victory over University of Alabama-Birmingham. For more on the game, see page 1C. For more on Friday at the Legislature, see page 5B.

Miller said Friday night she was glad the Senate approved its bill by a large margin but would like to see the provision for additional bonds should federal funds fall short of expectations.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius had proposed setting aside $264 million in sales tax revenues and issuing $465 million in bonds, but Republicans thought the reliance on debt excessive.

Transportation funding is HB 2918, Sub for SB 515.

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