Legislature contributes to ‘heartburn’
GOP legislative leaders say they “have serious heartburn” over some recent Brownback administration financial decisions. Join the club.
The question now is what they are going to do about it. And whether they will deal with their own reckless financial decisions.
Lawmakers learned last week that the administration signed a $19.9 million lease agreement to build a new power plant for state office buildings. And then this week they found out that the Kansas Department of Transportation arranged for the next decade to pay only interest on its recently issued $400 million in bonds.
Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, complained that the administration made these decisions without legislative approval. “We are pursuing legislation to ensure legislative oversight over principal and interest payments, collateral agreements and long-term leases,” she said.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, said these decisions demonstrate “that we as lawmakers need to provide more guidance and ensure accountability for taxpayer dollars.”
Lawmakers also are raising concerns about the management of state agencies and programs. Among several recent examples:
▪ Lawmakers expressed frustration Monday that a new computer system for enrolling Kansans in Medicaid and other public assistance programs is more than two years behind schedule, is costing much more than originally projected and will generate far less in savings than promised.
▪ Lawmakers seemed dumbfounded last week as to why the state wasn’t moving quickly to increase staffing and resolve safety concerns at its mental health hospitals.
▪ Lawmakers approved an extensive audit of the state’s foster care system that will examine the care and safety of children and whether privatization has affected the outcomes of cases.
It’s good that lawmakers are becoming more engaged. Their concerns are certainly justified. But they also need to recognize their role in these problems.
Tax cuts that the Legislature approved caused a dramatic loss of state revenue. As a result, the state has burned through its ending balance reserves, leaving no money to respond to emergencies or a likely court order to increase school funding.
The Legislature and the Brownback administration have repeatedly raided the state highway fund and other dedicated funds. Lawmakers approved borrowing $1 billion to help shore up the state pension fund, a risky financial move. They also quietly lifted the debt cap on KDOT.
The Brownback administration is making desperate, pound-foolish financial decisions. But so is the Legislature.
This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Legislature contributes to ‘heartburn’."