WICHITA— Healthcare is the focus of another round of tea parties taking place this week across the country. The Kansas chapter of the grassroots group Americans for Prosperity will organize a rally this Friday in Wichita.

The Wichita protest, at 11 a.m. Friday, July 17 outside Sen. Sam Brownback’s office (245 N. Waco, Wichita), will be held simultaneously with hundreds of other local tea parties nationwide outside the offices of members of Congress.

TOPEKA – The free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity-Kansas released the following statement in response today’s budget update:

“While we applaud Governor Parkinson for directing additional reductions to state agencies today, it’s important to note that our excessive spending – not our revenue stream – put the state in this multi-million dollar hole,” said AFP-Kansas State Director Derrick Sontag. “State General Fund spending increased 48 percent from 2004 to 2008, while population growth during that same time averaged less than one-half of 1 percent per year.