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News Brief

May 3, 2018TOPEKA, Kan. |  By: AP

Kansas lawmakers advance proposals to restore higher education funding

Kansas lawmakers have advanced proposals to restore some past spending cuts on state university campuses and give pay raises to state employees.

House and Senate negotiators wrapped up their work last night on spending legislation. The bill would make dozens of changes in $16 billion-plus budgets approved last year for the state's current fiscal year and the next fiscal year beginning in July.

Their measure would provide an additional $15 million for higher education to reverse a majority of, but not all, cuts made in university operating budgets in 2016.

The bill would give state employees at least a 2.5 percent pay raise. Employees who didn't receive a raise last year would get 5 percent.

Both chambers could consider the measure Thursday.

Kansas legislators are also looking to cut income taxes between $70 million and $85 million a year because some individuals and corporations would otherwise pay more to the state following changes in federal tax laws.

House and Senate negotiators agreed last night on the details of tax-cutting legislation. Their measure could be considered in both chambers Thursday.

The negotiators agreed that Kansas filers should be allowed to claim itemized deductions on their state tax forms even if they don't itemize on their federal forms. They can't do that now.

The federal changes last year limited some deductions and raised the federal standard deduction. That would cause fewer Kansans to itemize on their state forms.

The negotiators also agreed on changes in business taxes aimed at avoiding a "windfall" in state revenues.