Commerce outlines FY2025–26 budget; lawmakers question EDIF and broadband cuts

Kansas Department of Commerce staff outlined the agency's revised fiscal 2025 estimate and its fiscal 2026 request to a legislative budget review committee and highlighted reappropriations, federal grant adjustments and enhancement requests for tourism, broadband and workforce programs.

Shardae Cain, senior fiscal analyst for the Kansas Legislative Research Department, summarized the numbers, saying the department's 2025 revised estimate was about $290.1 million, roughly $12.8 million (4.6%) above the approved amount, driven in part by carryover reappropriations and federal grants. Cain told the committee the department carried about $5.9 million in unspent EDIF reappropriations into FY2025; the Legislative Budget Committee deleted those reappropriations in its recommendation.

Commerce director of legislative affairs Rachel Willis told the committee the agency has focused on business recruitment, small-business support, international trade missions and broadband deployment. "We are no longer a state that's lagging behind in economic development. We are leading and setting new expectations, for states and regions across the country," Willis said. She highlighted last year's results: about $3.5 billion in capital investment commitments and more than 5,300 jobs facilitated by business development staff.

Key items lawmakers questioned - Reappropriations: Cain said the department had nearly $5.9 million of reappropriated funds in FY2025, of which roughly $3 million had already been spent. The largest carryover was the Love Kansas talent-attraction marketing campaign, which launched in July and did work with local communities and higher-education institutions. - EDIF adjustments: For FY2026 the department requested a range of enhancements, including programs for Sunflower Summer (tourism), a mobile visitor center, expanded arts grants, broadband grant analysts and international trade initiatives. Committee staff said the LBC deleted about $4.3 million of EDIF for FY2026 across various Commerce programs; the deletions showed up on staff green-sheet…