On Monday, Dec. 1, we took the first step of voting for Senate leadership. Americans for Prosperity offers an analysis of the results and Kansas Liberty gives more insight with this news story. The outcome was a great disappointment. An entrenched leadership unfriendly to Kansas taxpayers was re-elected despite our best efforts.
Because the state is spending more money than it has available, the 2009-2010 sessions will be a contentious one -- just as it was in 2002-2003, when we had a $250 million shortfall. The final outcome that time: increased taxes, accounting gimmicks and added debt.
That can't happen again, not with a national economy in decline and our friends and neighbors struggling to support their families. Yet today the revenue shortfall is four times as bad as it was seven years ago. We will be $1 billion in the red next year, the result of a Kansas Supreme Court decision in 2005 ordering the Kansas Legislature to spend massive amounts of money for public education, money that didn't correspond to need or to projected state revenue. Unlike lawmakers, the justices didn't need to take the entire budget into consideration.
But we do. So beginning on day one of this session, we'll start taking steps to cut spending wisely, with care and common sense -- and without hurting our most vulnerable citizens. Unlike the last time, this time, Kansas' fiscal house needs to be put in order without raising taxes, without using accounting gimmicks and without adding more debt.
I will keep you informed about serious proposals that are made to get the Kansas budget back in line. The session begins Monday, Jan. 12, and all of us legislators will need your prayers. And we can use your good ideas too. If you have a question or a suggestion, let me know! I'll be pleased to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Mary Pilcher Cook
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