Topeka ? Democratic budget writers Friday voiced concern that Republicans were deleting a proposed pay raise for state employees when working on proposed budgets.

“The pay increase is necessary if we are going to keep good staff,” said Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Feuerborn said Republicans, who hold a majority in the Legislature, are removing Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ proposed 2.5 percent pay raise for state employees and the 27th paycheck as they work on various agency budget proposals.

The 27th paycheck is the extra biweekly paycheck the state owes employees once every 11 years. Usually, the state issues 26 paychecks each year to employees.

Some Democrats said they suspected that Republicans were socking money away to add funds for public schools without a tax increase.

But Appropriations Vice Chairwoman Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, said Feuerborn’s concerns were unfounded.

She said the subcommittees generally remove pay issues from their agency budgets so that the full Appropriations Committee can consider the issue on a “global” basis.

“The full committee deals with pay increases all at once,” Landwehr said.

Andy Sanchez, with the Kansas Association of Public Employees, said state employees need a raise.

“State employees are getting buried under health insurance costs and the general rate of inflation,” he said.