Vratil 'feels good' after talk with governor about budget cuts

There are three things that Senate Vice President John Vratil knows: The state ended the 2009 fiscal year June 30 with a revenue shortfall of $126 million; Gov. Mark Parkinson is going to have to make budget cuts; and that K-12 education funding is in the line of fire.

Some local legislators say education funding could be cut 5 percent or more, but Vratil, R-Leawood, is doubtful it will be that much.

"I wouldn't say (K-12 education) is going to be targeted," he said. "But some of the state agencies we've cut so much already there's nothing more to cut, so cuts there will be slim or none because there's just nothing left."

But that leaves K-12 education, which has suffered the least cuts during the state's on-going budget woes.

"I don't know how much has to be cut, but I don't think it will be 5 percent," Vratil said.

Vratil said he has talked to Parkinson about the impending cuts and that he "feels good" about their conversation.

"I'm not at liberty to talk about (our discussion)," he said. "He's going to have to make allotments, and when I say allotments I mean budget cuts, and under current law he's allowed to make targeted budget cuts. So he doesn't have to treat ever state agency exactly the same.

"I would advise him to make those cuts early in the fiscal year, in the next couple of weeks, really the sooner the better so that the schools and the agencies and the universities will have as much time as possible to adjust to the cuts."

How much local school districts will be affected by the cuts, Vratil said he didn't know.

"It's hard to tell," he said. "It depends first of all whether they are the subject of a cut, and secondly, if they are, how much and I don't know that."

In a memo to House Appropriations Chair Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, the Kansas Legislative Research Department explained that revenue shortfalls double, i.e., the May 2009 shortfall of $103 million means that same amount is projected for May of 2010 for a total shortfall of $206 million.

Given that 2009 ended $126 million less than projected revenues means going into the 2010 budget the state is looking at a $252 million shortfall.

Vratil said he agreed with that assessment.

"I think that's fair," he said.

The difficulty is trying to determine where to cut and how much.

That memo was sent to Yoder prior to the release of the June revenue figures.

"At that time, the Research Department said it would take a 4.4 percent across-the-board cut to make up the shortfall," Yoder said. "With the June totals that could go up to 5 percent, and I don't think some areas can take another 5 percent cut. I don't think cutting 5 percent more from public safety is feasible or prudent; I think we've cut public safety too much already.

"Some of the Social Service recipients, the elderly and the aging need us now more than ever, yet we have less money to give them. Higher education has already been cut dramatic amounts so that puts K-12 in the crosshairs more than any other entity.

"If (the governor) doesn't do an across-the-board cut, that means K-12 is going to get cut even a higher share."

But Vratil said he doesn't think Parkinson will make any dramatic cuts.

"I suspect the governor is going to make minimal cuts rather than trying to anticipate the (state's economic) future and making larger cuts, and I agree with that," Vratil said. "If we had a crystal ball and knew what the total revenue shortfall would be, I think the governor could fairly easily make the cuts in the next couple of weeks and we would get through (this economic period).

"But we don't know what the future is going to bring and he could make budget cuts next week and in another tow months have to make more budget cuts and in another two months make more budget cuts.

"We just don't know, but the fact that he is not running for office, I think that's a very big arrow in his quiver - that's huge (in making these budget decisions)."

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