School finance countdown

29 days: The state Supreme Court has given lawmakers until April 12 to produce a constitutional school finance plan.

Monday’s HIGHLIGHTS

Report: Child poverty remains a problem

Kansas children living in poverty remain a concern despite improvement in most child welfare categories, a Kansas Action for Children report said. The state saw increases in the number of children receiving free school lunches and the percentage of children born with low birth weights, the report said.

Money for schools

A legislative conference committee started work on competing school finance proposals. The Senate plan would increase funding by $147.1 million, while the House plan would increase funding by $115.9 million. Both plans rely on tapping into existing revenues, cash reserves and possible local property tax increases.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

1:30 p.m.: House Health and Human Services hearing on House Bill 2503 regarding regulation, licensing and standards for operation of abortion clinics.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I trust women to know when they are being discreet.”

— State Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, voicing support of a bill allowing mothers to breast-feed in public, but taking out an amendment that they “breast-feed discreetly”