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Budget Debate Goes Til Midnight

The Senate began debating a budget proposal Tuesday that meets the recommendations of Democratic Governor Bob Holden but without relying on any of Holden's proposed tax increases.

Missy Shelton reports.

Frustrations ran high when debate on the state's budget ran into the night...A handful of democratic senators engaged in extended debate.

Senate President Pro Temp Peter Kinder stood on the floor and confronted Democrat Victor Callahan.

The senate's proposed budget totals 18 point 8 billion dollars, roughly the amount in the governor's budget proposal.

But the senate plan doesn't include any of the 500 million dollars the governor recommended in January.

Some Republican lawmakers who previously supported tax increases say increased tax revenue has negated the need for higher taxes.

The Chairman of the Senate Appropriation Committee John Russell says he's suprised.

Lawmakers spent hours debating how to spend an extra 8 million dollars in lottery proceeds.

Democratic Senator Victor Callahan of Kansas City argued lawmakers should spend the money on education because voters were promised lottery money would go to schools.

But the ranking democrat on the Appropriations Committee Wayne Goode urged lawmakers to save the money and use it to negotiate with the House rather than put it into education.

Goode argued it's a small amount that won't make a difference in the overall budget for schools.

Besides arguing about how to spend the 8 million dollars, Democratic Senator Ken Jacob slowed debate by reviewing how much money lawmakers have authorized the state to borrow in recent years.

Jacob says he sees a disturbing trend.

But Jacob's argument didn't pursuade Republican Senator John Russell, who is sponsoring a bill that puts the state into debt to fund building projects on university campuses across the state.

He told Jacob it's not reasonable to expect the state can get by without borrowing some money.

The senate's budget plan must go to the House where lawmakers will either accept it and send it to the governor or reject it and work out the differences with the senate in a conference committee.

SOC