Brownback proposes stealing from pensions and Highway repair to cover for his insane tax cuts [View all]

With Kansas facing a projected $279 million budget shortfall after enacting aggressive tax cuts, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback proposed Tuesday to trim spending and divert funds for highway projects and public pensions to general government programs.

The plan, which applies only to the current budget year, avoids reducing aid to the state's public schools, its Medicaid health care program for the needy, prison operations or state universities. Budget Director Shawn Sullivan outlined the details in interviews and said the administration believes agencies that do face cuts can find efficiencies to avoid hurting any programs.

"These first steps are a down payment in resolving the immediate budget issue," Brownback said in a statement, adding that his administration is addressing the shortfall with "good fiscal governance" while protecting education and public safety.

The plan drew immediate, bipartisan criticism from state Senate leaders because it would divert $41 million from the pension system for teachers and government workers. Obligations to retirees over the next two decades are only 60 percent funded, and that figure was expected to climb over time thanks to a 2012 law that increased both the state's and employees' contributions to stabilize the system's long-term health.

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http://news.yahoo.com/kansas-governor-unveils-plan-close-budget-gap-174044686.html