Topeka ? Despite a looming budget crisis, the Kansas Legislature early today adjourned the major part of the 2010 session without having approved a spending plan for the next fiscal year.

The final gavel came down on the regular session at 12:50 a.m.

After having used up 75 days of a 90-day session, legislative leaders decided it would be best to wait until they have more up-to-date revenue projections before attempting to fashion a spending plan.

On April 16, state fiscal experts will put together a revised revenue estimate. Legislators will return for the wrap-up session on April 28 and try to write a budget with the new estimate.

Legislators face a nearly $500 million revenue shortfall on top of budget cuts over the past year of nearly $1 billion from a $6.4 billion budget.

At the start of the session in January, Gov. Mark Parkinson proposed a three-year, 1 cent increase in the state sales tax and 55-cent per pack increase in the cigarette tax to help close the budget gap.

But tax increase proposals have not gained much traction.

On the other side of the ledger, more budget cuts have also been rejected. House Republican leaders proposed a budget that would cut school funding $172 million, but that has gotten little support from other legislators.

Abortion measure

In one of its final actions Tuesday, the Legislature passed a bill to strengthen state laws restricting such procedures — but not by veto-proof margins.

The Republican-controlled Senate approved the bill 24-15. Hours later, the GOP-led House passed it 83-36, sending it to Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson, an abortion-rights supporter.

The measure would allow patients or family members to sue doctors if they have evidence an abortion violated state law. Also, doctors would be required to report more details to the state about abortions performed after the 21st week of pregnancy and involving fetuses considered viable, or able to survive outside the womb.

Parkinson hasn’t said whether he’ll reject the bill, but abortion opponents worked for the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a veto. They were one vote short in the House and three short in the Senate.

The slaying last year of Dr. George Tiller, of Wichita, shut down the only clinic in Kansas known for doing abortions late in women’s pregnancies.

The bill’s supporters and opponents agreed that the goal was to stop someone else from opening such a clinic.

“They want to dissuade another physician like George Tiller from setting up camp here,” said Kari Ann Rinker, a lobbyist for the National Organization for Women’s state chapter.

Mary Kay Culp, executive director of Kansans for Life, said that without such a measure, “There’s a red carpet leading into all four sides of this state for any abortionist who wants to come in.”

Tiller’s clinic was among a few in the U.S. performing abortions in the last weeks of pregnancy, and a 1998 Kansas law targeted abortions of viable fetuses after the 21st week of pregnancy.

It permitted such abortions only to save a woman or girl’s life or to prevent “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” Doctors must file a report with the state on each procedure.

But the state hasn’t required physicians to list the exact medical diagnosis justifying each abortion, just a statement saying it was necessary to preserve her health. The state has said none of the more than 3,000 late-term abortions of viable fetuses since the law took effect were to save a patient’s life.

Also, abortion opponents said allowing lawsuits against doctors will help patients and their families hold physicians accountable for substandard care.

Sens. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, and Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, all voted against the bill.

In the House, Reps. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, Tony Brown, D-Baldwin City, Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, and Ann Mah, D-Topeka, all voted against the bill. Rep. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, voted for the bill.