TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has modified a proposal from Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to delay providing some funds to school districts for four months.

The Appropriations Committee began work Thursday on a bill that would close a projected $279 million shortfall in the current state budget.

Brownback’s budget-balancing plan relies most heavily on diverting funds for highway projects and other special funds into the state’s main bank account, which has the projected deficit.

But Brownback also hoped to avoid a mid-February cash crunch for the state by delaying $45 million in payments to schools for building repairs and equipment until June.

The committee voted to delay only $20 million in payments.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee is working on its own budget-balancing bill but canceled its meeting Thursday.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee has modified a proposal from Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to delay providing some funds to school districts for four months.

The Appropriations Committee began work Thursday on a bill that would close a projected $279 million shortfall in the current state budget.

Brownback’s budget-balancing plan relies most heavily on diverting funds for highway projects and other special funds into the state’s main bank account, which has the projected deficit.

But Brownback also hoped to avoid a mid-February cash crunch for the state by delaying $45 million in payments to schools for building repairs and equipment until June.

The committee voted to delay only $20 million in payments.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee also was working on its budget-balancing bill.

By Alyssa Scott
KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA — The Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA), a venture capital fund covering animal, human and plant health, intends to further invest in the Kansas bioscience sector in 2015 by quadrupling its available funds.

KBA CEO and Chairman Duane Cantrell told the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday that the KBA intends to make $420 million available for corporate investment, which is four times more than between 2009-14. He said KBA is able to quadruple its investment after restructuring.

“We’ve established two investment structures, and for every dollar we put into those structures, we expect two to four other dollars to come in from outside of Kansas,” he said. “In other words, when we put an investment in a company, we expect to get it back with the returns so we can do that again and again, and that’s how we’ve become sustainable.”

To become more effective, the KBA switched to a market-based, self-sustaining financial model two years ago.
“The money is now beginning to come back into the KBA,” Cantrell said. “Prior to two years ago, not a single dime ever walked back in the door of the KBA. In the last two years, $19 million has come back in, $17.7 million of that just last year.”

Sen. Jeff Melcher (R-Leawood) said he is pleased with the changes the KBA has made in how it invests.
“I was a harsh critic of us just giving away money and not expecting anything in return,” Melcher said. “On the other side of the coin, KBA 2.0, I’m fully supportive of it, and I would like us to fully fund it. It’s one of the few things that we fund in government that actually returns something to us that’s greater than what we put into it, and because of that I support it.”

The KBA has five key objectives that are expected to work with the new investment structures to help reach its goal of increasing available capital for the next five years. These include improving the return of investment, investment in opportunities, attracting private equity dollars to Kansas, increasing job availability, and increasing the export of products and services to a global market.

Cantrell said the bioscience sector is a key area of improvement because not only does bioscience work to solve global issues, such as food supply and safety, but it also benefits communities by providing high-quality and high-paying jobs. In addition, it is a relevant field in terms of Kansas’ strengths and resources.

“Basically one third of the global GEP, a $20 billion industry, of animal health is represented in the ‘corridor’ between Columbia, Missouri, to Manhattan, Kansas,” Cantrell said. “There is no other place in the United States, there is no other place in the world, that has that kind of concentration of animal health. Collectively, Kansas is well-positioned, and quite frankly about as well-positioned as any other state in the United States.”

Alyssa Scott is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism and French.

LAWRENCE – Two men were injured in an accident just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Douglas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1992 Buick LeSabre driven by Joseph S. Sauer, 49, Waterville, was eastbound on U. S. 24 four miles north of Lawrence. The vehicle was in the westbound lane passing a Mack Truck.

The truck made a left turn at 3rd Street. The Buick struck and came to rest under the truck’s trailer.

Sauer was transported to KU Medical Center. The truck driver Kevin S. Hooper, 52, Topeka, was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

The KHP reported Sauer was not wearing a seat belt.

WICHITA–Four hunters were sentenced Wednesday for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act when they took more than 260 mourning doves during a hunt in Ellis County, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Each of the four pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves. They were sentenced to two years unsupervised probation, a $1,000 fine and $1,000 in restitution. In addition, they are prohibited from hunting, fishing, trapping or accompanying others during those activities for two years.

Sentenced were:

Harold C. Amrein, 59, Ellis, Kan.
Randy L. Amrein, 38, Fremont, Neb.
Morris H. Russell, 48, Omaha, Neb.
Tyrel S. Simpson, 33, Council Bluffs, Iowa

In their pleas, they admitted the crimes took place Sept. 2, 2014, during a hunt in the opening weekend of dove season. Following the hunt, a warden with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism found them in possession of more than 260 mourning doves. The daily bag limit for mourning doves is 15.

Grissom commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster for their work on the case.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director and top Republicans say Kansas needs to balance its current budget by mid-February to ensure that the state can keep paying all of its bills on time.

Budget Director Shawn Sullivan said Wednesday that the GOP-dominated Legislature should pass a bill by Feb. 13 to close a projected $279 million shortfall in the current budget to head off any potential delays.

The Republican governor’s proposals include diverting money from highway projects to general government programs and making selected spending cuts.

The House Appropriations Committee had a hearing Wednesday on his proposals and plans to approve a bill by Monday. Chairman Ron Ryckman Jr. said lawmakers are pressed for time.

The state also faces a projected $436 million shortfall for the fiscal year beginning in July.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Fort Riley is holding a meeting to hear from the community about how possible personnel reductions on the base could affect them.

Fort Riley employs more than 25,000 people in the Junction City area. In a news release, Fort Riley said as many as 16,000 could be dismissed or redeployed.

The base is one of 30 military installations across the U.S. that could see troop reductions as a result of the federal budget cuts and personnel reductions to the Army.

The forum will be held Feb. 9 at the Geary County Convention Center in Junction City.

A Missouri man was sentenced Tuesday for robbing a bank in Overland Park.

US Attorney Barry Grissom says Alvin J. Williams, 24, Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to 114 months in federal prison.

Williams pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of using a firearm during the robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Feb. 27, 2014, he and two co-defendants robbed Inter-State Federal Savings at 8620 Metcalf in Overland Park. They entered the bank about noon and held employees at gunpoint before fleeing with stolen money.

Co-defendant Randy A. Cornelius, 21, Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to 57 months, and co-defendant Allen J. Williams, 24, Kansas City, Mo., is awaiting sentencing.