Print edition: 
The State Finance Council will discuss a request by Bombardier Learjet today that would allow the company to use the remaining $6 million in bond money that it was granted in 1994, said Dan Lara, a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The company has used $27 million of the $33 million provided by the 1994 bonds. It’s unclear whether the remaining bond money would be used for Bombardier’s Learjet 85 program in Wichita.
The state also is separately considering an incentives package for a proposed $52.7 million, 450-job expansion by Bombardier at Mid-Continent Airport for the new Learjet 85, which will be assembled in Wichita. The state agreement on that package could run between $16 million and $18 million. City and county officials have already approved their portion of the plan, contributing $1 million each.
It’s the second Bombardier incentives deal on the table with the state in as many years. In mid-2010, Bombardier announced a new Wichita assembly site for its Learjet 85 business jet, which created 600 new jobs in exchange for about $27 million in bond financing from the state. The company also agreed not to move any existing operations out of Wichita during the life of the bonds.
The Finance Council represents the Kansas Legislature when it’s not in session. Lara said last week that his office expects the Finance Council to be asked to approve any potential Bombardier incentives.
The state’s Finance Council consists of nine members, including the governor, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, House and Senate majority and minority leaders and the Ways and Means and Appropriations committee chairpersons. The governor serves as chairperson.
