Topeka ? A proposed cancer center at the Kansas University Medical Center received a strong endorsement Thursday from the House, but members rejected other initiatives from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as they debated budget issues.

The proposed budget advancing in the House, spending $11.7 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1, largely resembled the plan Sebelius outlined for legislators in January. Spending would drop $148 million, or 1.2 percent, but that doesn’t factor in any major increase in aid to public schools, an issue to be settled later.

The GOP-dominated House Appropriations Committee differed with the Democratic governor on several initiatives, including the cancer center, expanded state health coverage for infants and toddlers, and a new youth mentoring program led by former Kansas State University football coach Bill Snyder.

The committee also included authority for the state to issue nearly $21 million in bonds to finance an expansion of state prisons in El Dorado or Ellsworth.

Three bills contained parts of the budget, and the House advanced all of them on voice votes, with final action – and passage – expected today. The Senate plans to debate its own spending plan next week, and negotiators for the two chambers will write the final version.

Sebelius wanted to appropriate $5 million to the cancer center, designed to be among a few elite research and treatment institutions in the nation. While some GOP House members saw it as a noble project, they said the Legislature should pass a bill spelling out how the center would be run before setting aside the money.

The Appropriations Committee included a provision saying a bill setting up the cancer center had to pass first. On a voice vote, the House struck the language, after some members argued a bill wasn’t necessary.

“All it will do is delay the creation of something that will save people’s lives,” said Rep. Carl Krehbiel, R-Moundridge.

Other House members said the issue isn’t creating the cancer center but making sure it has proper oversight.

“The cancer center is going to happen,” said Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe. “We need to control how those moneys are spent.”

Sebelius also proposed spending $3.5 million so that all children age 5 and younger are covered by health insurance. The extra money would allow the state to provide coverage to more poor and middle-class children.

But Republicans on the Appropriations Committee refused to allocate the money, suggesting the expansion would be far more costly in future years.

Rep. Julie Menghini, D-Pittsburg, proposed adding the money, but the House voted 69-36 against her amendment.

The House also voted 69-44 against an amendment from Rep. Sydney Carlin, D-Kansas City, to set aside $250,000 for Sebelius’ already-announced mentoring program, led by Snyder.

The program launched an Internet site this week in hopes of linking Kansans interested in being mentors with local nonprofit groups and of identifying areas with a shortage of mentoring programs.

“Prevention is the key,” Carlin said. “If we can just bring some children along to believe in themselves and develop their self-esteem, we will be far, far ahead.”

But some Republicans said the state shouldn’t be starting new programs when it hasn’t decided how much money to put into public schools and that they didn’t have enough information on Sebelius’ proposal.