Kansas close to using up to $1B to shore up pension system

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators plan to use up to $1 billion in surplus state funds to shore up the Kansas pension fund for teachers and government workers. They’re close to passing a proposal despite bipartisan misgivings about that move ruling out some tax cuts. Both chambers have approved their own measures Wednesday, and negotiators are set to draft a final version. The votes were 28-12 in the Senate and 113-5 in the House. A few conservative Republicans worried that the move would limit options for cutting taxes. Democrats feared that it would doom Kelly’s proposed income tax rebate as well as her plan to eliminate the state’s 6.5% sales tax on groceries.