Topeka — Republicans on the House budget committee on Friday approved a recommendation that would cut $16 million in higher education funding from Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposal.
Appropriations Chairman Marc Rhoades, R-Newton, said the cuts had been “offered” by the Kansas Board of Regents as part of a reduced resources plan, but state Rep. Jerry Henry, of Atchison, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said, “I think I take offense to the word ‘offer.’”
He said the reductions proposed by the regents were simply to comply with Brownback’s directive to include a possible emergency budget cut when submitting spending proposals.
“I believe all these cuts would have tremendous pain,” Henry said.
The Appropriations Committee is expected to finish its work on the budget this week and send it to the full House for consideration.
Rhoades’ plan would reduce Brownback’s budget by approximately $30 million, with $16 million from higher education, specifically community colleges, technical education, Washburn University and the regents’ office.
Rhoades said the state budget proposal would not factor in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue gained in Brownback’s tax plan because that plan has not gained acceptance in the Legislature yet.
Brownback, a Republican, has proposed reducing individual state income tax rates over the next four years but keeping the state sales tax at 6.3 percent. Under current law, the sales tax rate is supposed to decrease to 5.7 percent on July 1. Brownback also has proposed eliminating homeowner deductions for mortgage interest and real estate taxes.
Comments
Perses 3 months, 1 week ago
Community colleges are a great resource for those without jobs and to those who can't afford other higher ed choices. It only makes sense that the Republicans would cut funding. Keep your constituents barefoot and uneducated and then blame it on the other party.
Nani700 3 months, 1 week ago
We don't need no stinkin' higher education! We got McDonald's and $7 an hour jobs. What good will no income tax do us if we don't have an income?
toe 3 months, 1 week ago
At least KU will have a world class track. The entire cut for all schools is less costly. KU has its priorities.
Dave Trabert 3 months, 1 week ago
Regents schools may have more opportunities to save money than some people understand. Data collected in an Open Records request shows that the Board of Regents and universities have experienced large growth in their unencumbered cash reserves, going from $233 million in 2006 to $598 million in 2012. Some of that money is undoubtedly legally restricted but that much of an increase certainly merits a look. http://www.kansasopengov.org/StateGovt/CarryoverCashBalance/tabid/2236/Default.aspx
Calendar year 2012 payroll data just posted also shows considerable growth in university pay. University payrolls increased a little over $40 million (4.1%) last year. All other state agency payrolls shrunk by $42 million (4.5%). http://www.kansasopengov.org/StateGovt/PayListings/tabid/792/Default.aspx
KRichards 3 months, 1 week ago
Dave-Have you ever received a raise, what about last year? How much do you make?
Did you know those brothers that fund your salary (Koch) increased their net worth on the back of taxpayers by 30% each of the last few years. Those poor fools are only worth $34,000,000,000.00 each. To think they have gotten a raise of over $20 billion dollars each since 2009 seems insignificant.
Thinking_Out_Loud 3 months, 1 week ago
The answer to your first question, KRichards, is none of our business, no matter how interested we may be.
The answer to your second question is not relevant to the topic at hand.
Dave Trabert 3 months, 1 week ago
That's not a simple calculation because of a lot of college spending is not directly related to educating students. All college spending has an impact on tuition but some college spending is related to research, athletics and other functions. In order to calculate the inflation rate for a college education, one would need to isolate the costs that are not direct education costs.
Cant_have_it_both_ways 3 months, 1 week ago
Keep up the good work Dave. You too know there are many malcontents on this board, many of which don't have anything or never will due to their insane hatred for those who work hard.
chootspa 3 months, 1 week ago
I'd love to see a statistical sampling of the forum posters. I suspect you'd be surprised.
Pastor_Bedtime 3 months, 1 week ago
Reviewing your recent comments, Can't, the only insane hatred I see here comes from you. And yet we've no evidence you work at all, let alone "hard".
You must be a joy around Xmas, cheering your hero Ole Man Potter on against that slacker George Bailey.
AlbertEqualsmc2 3 months, 1 week ago
Folks, Dave is offering us proof...no doubt if he received his higher education within Kansas that institution should refund the cost of educating him because they failed to teach him anything. Seems to me it also reinforces the probably invalid status of intelligent design and evolution.
chootspa 3 months, 1 week ago
Telling us that payroll increased does not provide context. You're saying that "payrolls" increased, but not necessarily that per capita pay increased. The increase could be due to hiring more people to compensate for higher enrollment numbers, or it could be because of pay raises (as you are implying), and the context there would be that employees didn't get any raise at all for quite some time, so they may have been looking at brain drain. It could also be for other reasons, such as increased benefits costs if insurance premiums went up.
BrainCase 3 months, 1 week ago
Everybody should keep in mind that kansasopengov.org is a project of the Kansas Policy Institute and not an independent entity. You can bet that everything on that site is as biased against public education as anything else the Kansas Policy Institute puts out. Don't buy the propaganda, folks.
Dave Trabert 3 months, 1 week ago
Everything on KansasOpenGov.org comes from Open Records requests of local school districts, state agencies and local government. These government facts may differ from what citizens have been told but they are nonetheless accurate. Kansans are entitled to all of the information in order to make their own fully-informed decisions.
chootspa 3 months, 1 week ago
Nobody's questioning the facts. We're questioning your obviously biased framing and interpretation of the facts. Kansans are entitled to all the information in order to make fully-informed decisions, but you're not a good source for that information. You're here to tell us that more doctors smoke Camel than any other cigarette.
texburgh 3 months, 1 week ago
As Dave Trabert would say, "People should get all the education they can afford." And since the Kochs are paying his bills, it shouldn't be a problem in the Trabert family.
I_Like_Ike 3 months, 1 week ago
I think they are still teaching Western Civ in the Community Colleges....sounds like they deserve the $$. Cut the University monies, not the CC's.
merrill 3 months, 1 week ago
Education is the best investment any state can make. It pays back directly by preparing citizens for all types of employment and the capabilities of starting new small businesses.
Taxpayers NEED to know where these tax dollars are going? Who they are going to etc etc etc.
Brownback has been publicly pushing Vo-Tech education yet behind the scenes the ALEC Brownback soldiers are killing Vo-Tech education. I knew there was something fishy about ALEC Brownback supporting VO-Tech education.
ALEC Brownback speaks with forked tongue.
Privatization is a tool to funnel OUR tax dollars into private industry bank accounts to which I VOTE NO!
question4u 3 months, 1 week ago
Kansas doesn't have a top 50 university. it doesn't have a top 100 university. Kansas isn't ever going to be a leader in higher education, but does have a system of higher education that provides the educated workforce that it needs, especially though its community colleges.
Snake-oil salesmen who claim that undercutting K-12 education and undermining higher education won't have any adverse effects on Kansas will always have the approval of those have a personal grudge against education. Whether the educated population buys that nonsense will determine the fate of Kansas for decades to come.
When has taking the third-world as a model ever led to prosperity for the general population?
bluekansas 3 months, 1 week ago
by bluekansas
bluekansas 3 months, 1 week ago
Don’t end KIDS program in Kansas
http://www.kansas.com/2013/03/12/2711811/shannon-cotsoradis-dont-end-kids.html …
by bluekansas
toe 3 months, 1 week ago
Already ended.
Nani700 3 months, 1 week ago
Dave Trabert says "That's not a simple calculation because of a lot of college spending is not directly related to educating students." The same is true for K--12. Much of the $12,000 per pupil he likes to claim is state aid goes to KPERS, insurance, and services outside of the classroom much of which as in the case of KPERS is sent right back to the state. He is a typical shill of the Kochs.
laredo 3 months, 1 week ago
We don't need any education in kansas just tax cuts for the rich and the poor people can just go somewhere and die like an old dog.
Paul R. Getto 3 months, 1 week ago
Interesting discussion, no? "Facts" are fungible. Remember Twain's quote on statistics? Look it up SHEEPLE.
Paul R. Getto 3 months, 1 week ago
http://cjonline.com/news/2013-03-12/senate-gop-closes-caucus-after-brownback-address#comment-982364
Check this out. LJW should cover this too.
Is Sam in trouble? He better flex His Muscular jesusperson quickly. This may get interesting. Sam may have overreached and be in a bit of doodoo. Wake up and vote in 2014 Sheeple. 31% of those eligible voted him in. It is time to rally the troops. If we can beat the money boys with votes, we can clean up the House a bit.
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