TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Latest on the Kansas Legislature’s debates on spending and tax issues (all times local):
3:15 p.m.
Kansas is reporting that it collected $66 million more in taxes than anticipated in April to make it the 11th month in a row that revenues have been better than expected.
The Department of Revenue said Tuesday that the state collected $932 million in taxes last month and the official forecast was $866 million. The surplus was 7.6 percent.
The surplus was notable because it was the first monthly revenue report since state officials and university economists issued new and more optimistic projections April 20.
The state has collected more than $5.7 billion in revenue since the current fiscal year began in July.
The state’s tax collections are 20 percent higher than they were a year ago. Lawmakers last year increased income taxes to help balance the state budget.
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11:30 a.m.
Kansas legislators are moving to ban taxpayer-funded settlements of sexual harassment claims against state officials and block non-disclosure agreements in such cases.
House and Senate negotiators have agreed to include two provisions on sexual harassment in legislation revising the $16 billion-plus state budgets approved last year for the state’s current fiscal year and the next fiscal year beginning in July.
Both provisions were approved by the House but not debated by the Senate. Lawmakers expect to vote this week on the final version of budget legislation.
One provision would prohibit any agency from using state funds to settle a sexual harassment claim against a state official.
The second provision would prevent the use of state funds to request a non-disclosure agreement over the settlement of a sexual harassment claim.
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