TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators on Wednesday reversed actions by Kansas’ Democratic governor to reshape the state budget to her liking, but they couldn’t save a GOP tax relief plan and had their work briefly delayed by a loud protest in favor of expanding Medicaid.
Rep. @BrendaLandwehr urging colleagues to override the Governor’s budget vetoes. #ksleg pic.twitter.com/5iXb7ckjSq
— Dan Hawkins (@DanHawkinsKS) May 29, 2019
The GOP-controlled Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s vetoes of several items in the next state budget, including an extra $51 million payment to the state’s public pension system to help boost its long-term financial stability. She had argued for socking away more funds in the state’s cash reserves as a hedge against a future economic downturn.
Republicans failed to override Kelly’s veto of a tax bill aimed at providing relief to businesses and individuals paying more in state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. The governor argued that it would “decimate” the state budget as it saved taxpayers roughly $240 million over three years.
(Read more: Little Apple Post)