(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers Dec. 14, 2015)
It’s a little like wishing for a new hot water heater for Christmas, but the Legislature this month may be hoping for more of the small-buck money saving ideas that it is paying $2.59 million to a New York management/professional services company to deliver just after New Year’s.
Yep, it’s behind-the-scenes savings that most Kansans will never notice that may be the key to Kansas lawmakers ending the upcoming fiscal year with a little cash in the bank and then can constitutionally devote their summertime to getting re-elected.
There’s little doubt among Legislature-watchers that the upcoming session is going to be an ugly one, with state revenues shrinking and nobody interested in raising any taxes on voters during an election year. And, there’s also that little problem that there aren’t many taxes or fees that can be raised quickly enough to get the state through the last six months of this fiscal year. It’s going to have to be cuts, and the amount of cuts isn’t clear yet.