TOPEKA – Kansas legislators are wrapping up the 2009 Kansas Legislative session. Although some progress was made toward closing the state’s budget deficit, long-term solutions were not created, said Americans for Prosperity-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag.

“Last week Governor Parkinson and many in the Legislature put multiple tax increase proposals on the table for consideration involving halting the phase-outs of the franchise and estate taxes, along with decoupling legislation,” Sontag said. “AFP vehemently fought these proposals, communicating to lawmakers that Kansas taxpayers shouldn't bear the brunt of the Legislature's failure to efficiently spend tax payer dollars.

On Thursday, we flooded the halls of the Statehouse with grassroots activists telling their legislators not to raise our taxes to close the state's budget gap.

After a briefing on the Kansas budget from AFP-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag, activists marched to the Statehouse to visit legislative offices and even catch lawmakers out in the halls all with the same message: do not rely on taxpayers to fix this budget.

AFP is providing free chartered buses to Topeka on Thursday, April 30 for "Flood the Halls and Make the Calls." Details are below:

Wichita Area Bus

• 6:30 – 7 a.m. Loading Bus at Lawrence Dumont Stadium Parking Lot
• 7 a.m. Bus departs Wichita for Topeka
• 9:30 a.m. Arrive Dillon House, 404 SW. 9th Street, Topeka (Dillon House is located just west of the Statehouse)
• 3:30 – 4 p.m. Loading Bus at the Capitol (at the Dillon House)
• 4 p.m. Bus departs Topeka for Wichita (est. arrival 6:30 p.m.)

TOPEKA – The free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity-Kansas today released a study by Arduin, Laffer & Moore Econometrics, analyzing the impact of the federal stimulus plan on the states.

According to the study, “The Economic Impact of Federal Spending on State Economic Performance,” the federal stimulus plan will be a long-term drain on the private sector. Donna Arduin, one of the study’s authors, will be in Topeka on Wednesday to discuss the findings with legislators.

On Thursday, April 30th we invite you to "Make the Calls and Flood the Halls" of the Statehouse. Legislators will be back for the wrap-up of the 2009 Legislative Session, and they'll be dealing with the final budget bill.

We must tell our state legislators not to force the taxpayers to bail them out of a budget situation they created by spending too much of our taxpayer dollars.