Over 100 days into the session, State Legislators are still grappling with tax policy, a school finance formula and balancing the state’s budget.

Jeff Longbine, Senate Vice President, said that it’s become “very frustrating” trying to pass a tax plan.

“The Senate [Tuesday] night sent a tax increase bill that would balance our budget, would pay for the new school finance formula and also stabilize our budget into the upcoming years; that plan was defeated in the House – some said it raised too much money, some said it didn’t raise enough,” said Longbine. “We as a Legislature are still struggling to find compromise on tax policy.”

Longbine noted that once a tax policy is settled, they can then reconcile budgets between the House and the Senate.

“Certainly the tax issue is the biggest issue that’s left in the Legislature.”

Wednesday afternoon Senators voted 23-16 to approve a bill phasing in an increase in spending on public schools by $230 million over two years. Longbine noted that this plan is particularly beneficial to Geary County.

“There are a couple of majors in the school finance bill that I think are very good for Geary County schools; the first being that enrollment in the Fall for headcount will either be what the current enrollment is or a three year rolling average – whichever is highest,” said Longbine. “That will help with the fluctuation in the enrollment of students in Geary County Schools.”

A second count date has also been included in the school finance bill in the event that enrollment increases from the Fall to Spring, then adjustments will be made to provide extra funding.

The school finance measure must now pass in the House, where a $285 million increase over two years plan has been drafted. Longbine is confident that negotiators will be able to draft a compromise due to the similarities in the two plans.

For now, Legislators are eager to find a tax policy in order to move the legislative session forward.

“Right now it appears that we’re a little bit deadlocked,” said Longbine. “I would hope that by the end of the week or the first of next week that we can find that compromise and once we do adjournment should come pretty quickly after that.”

*feature photo courtesy jefflongbine.com