The Kansas House has approved its version of a bill to reduce the fiscal year 2009 budget by about $300 million. However, as AFP-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag points out, the FY 2009 budget still spends more money than was spent in the FY 2008 budget.

"It’s important to note that even with this $305 million reduction in spending approved by the House, the total FY 2009 budget is still larger than what lawmakers approved in the previous fiscal year," said Sontag. "We continue to spend more money year over year, and lawmakers must keep in mind that reducing the growth of the budget from year to year is not equivalent to a cut in spending."

Overall, Sontag said this rescission bill is a step in the right direction because it indicates that our state legislators are taking the current budget situation seriously.