Senate Panel Endorses Budget Bill

A Kansas Senate committee has endorsed a proposed state budget for the fiscal yearthat starts July 1.

Thursday’s vote by the budget committee sends the bill to the full Senate, but it’s not clear when the chamber will debate the measure.

The spending plan would leave the state with a balance of nearly $7.5 million when the 2012 fiscal year ends.

Senators followed most of the proposals by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, including a $226 per student reduction in aid to the state’s 289 school districts. They also included money to prevent a loss of federal funding for special education.