Kansas

DALLAS — Kansas will finance the fifth phase of a multi-year reconstruction project at the state capitol in Topeka with proceeds from tomorrow’s competitive offering of $43.6 million of bonds by the Kansas Development Finance Authority.

DALLAS — Kansas lawmakers approved a $13.6 billion balanced budget for fiscal 2011 on Tuesday, and sent a bill authorizing a 10-year, $8.2 billion transportation program to Gov. Mark Parkinson.

DALLAS — The Kansas Senate on Wednesday approved a $13.6 billion general fund budget for fiscal 2011 that will require lawmakers to raise taxes by at least $350 million.

DALLAS — The Kansas Senate’s Ways and Means Committee has endorsed the largest tax hike in state history, a $434 million package of measures aimed at easing a revenue shortfall that keeps getting worse.

DALLAS — On the heels of a Fitch Ratings downgrade, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System plans to issue more than $1 billion of revenue bonds this week for operations in three states.

DALLAS — Kansas lawmakers will consider a 10-year, $8.2 billion comprehensive transportation program that authorizes an estimated $1.7 billion of state highway revenue bonds when they reconvene today in Topeka to develop a budget for fiscal 2011.

DALLAS — The Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee Wednesday adopted a proposed state budget for fiscal 2011 that is out of balance by more than $400 million.

DALLAS — Kansas lawmakers will return to Topeka on April 28 to deal with a growing budget shortfall that has worsened since the Legislature recessed in early April to await the latest revenue estimate.

DALLAS — The dire revenue outlook for Kansas eased somewhat on Monday as the Department of Revenue reported higher-than-expected general fund collections.

CHICAGO — A Kansas City, Mo., task force picked Piper Jaffray & Co. over three other finalists to help develop a financing plan as the city weighs whether to pursue construction of a $300 million hotel to support its downtown convention center.

DALLAS — Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson said he may be forced to make additional cuts to the fiscal 2010 budget as revenue continues to fall faster than expected.

DALLAS — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday said it would reject a request from a coalition of school districts to reopen a lawsuit that led to increased state support of public education.

DALLAS — The Kansas Development Finance Authority will go to market today with the first sale from a $105 million state authorization that will partially finance a federally operated biohazard research facility, as Moody’s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the state to negative from stable.

DALLAS — A joint Kansas legislative committee has passed along two versions of a plan for financing the state’s next 10-year transportation effort to the Legislature, which will begin its 2010 session on Monday.

Kansas budget director Duane Goossen said last week that most of the 295 school districts in the state will not receive their full December aid allotment until early January due to lower-than-expected state revenue.

DALLAS — Faced with an unprecedented decline in tax revenue, Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson on Monday slashed almost $260 million from the state’s fiscal 2010 budget.

The State Board of Education said last week that additional cuts in state aid to 293 public school districts due to declining state revenues would harm the quality of education in Kansas.

DALLAS — A steeper-than-expected decline in Kansas state tax collections could require quick budget cuts totaling $460 million to balance the books for fiscal 2010, with more in store in fiscal 2011.

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson said last week the state would not expand its offer of $144.5 million of sales tax bonds and $85 million of tax incentives and credits to help finance a large office campus and soccer stadium in ­Wyandotte County.

Reduced revenue could require Kansas to again lower aid to almost 300 local school districts by as much as $70 million. The state government has already reduced financial assistance by $215 per student since January.