House panel supports fully funding ‘fair fares’ program in 2016

A Kansas House panel approved a motion Tuesday morning that would fully fund the “fair fares” program in 2016 and then let it end the following year.

Gov. Sam Brownback proposed lowering state funding for the program, which subsidizes flights to and from Wichita, from $5 million to $4 million next fiscal year and to $3 million after that.

But Rep. Gene Suellentrop, R-Wichita, made a motion during a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday morning to fully fund the program at $5 million for 2016 fiscal year, which begins in July, and to let the program end the following year.

This position has been heavily pushed for by the Wichita Chamber of Commerce. Last week, the chamber’s lobbyist Jason Watkins said it was important for the state to keep its word to Southwest Airlines and fully fund the program for three years.

Suellentrop made similar points Tuesday.

“There’s no need to fund ’17 because Southwest themselves said that’s all they wanted,” Suellentrop said.

Suellentrop said the program is important both for Wichitans looking for affordable flights and also for people from elsewhere looking to visit the city for both business and tourism.

The proposed budgets for 2016 and 2017 will be put to a vote later in the session.

This story was originally published February 17, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "House panel supports fully funding ‘fair fares’ program in 2016."