Lawrence-area state legislators visited the Kansas University campus Thursday for a brown-bag lunch with members of the KU unclassified and support staff senates.

Four lawmakers, all Democrats, addressed and took questions from about 30 senators attending the session at the Kansas Union.

Legislators all expressed support of state employees, including the ones at KU, but none was optimistic that the state’s budget had big improvements in store for them this year.

With the state facing a massive financial shortfall, Rep. Boog Highberger said higher education funding would be a “likely target” for cuts.

“We’ll do the best we can to represent the university’s interests, but it’s going to be a difficult year, I think,” he said.

Rep. John Wilson said a particular goal of his was “investment in people” and improving the workplace culture for state employees.

Not unlike private-sector companies, the state must support its staff, including through career advancement, professional development and morale, Wilson said. He said he planned to communicate with KU and other Regents universities to see what they are doing in that area.

Amanda Ostreko, KU director of graduate enrollment and Unclassified Senate president, said the body was always supportive of measures that would improve staff retention.

Rep. Barbara Ballard and Sen. Marci Francisco also participated in Thursday’s panel, along with KU public affairs staffers Tim Caboni, vice chancellor of public affairs, and Lindsey Douglas, director of state relations.

Question topics included the possibility of buyouts for early retirees and the future of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, or KPERS, to which Gov. Sam Brownback has proposed cutting state contributions by more than $40 million in the next six months. Legislators also took questions on partisan relations and LGBTQ-related legislation.