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Kansas House passes budget (Substitute HB 2,007) after contested amendments on special education, school meals and other priorities
Summary
After multi-hour debate and a series of floor amendments, the Kansas House approved substitute HB 2,007 — the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill — sending the measure out of the chamber as amended. Key debates centered on special‑education funding, school meal co‑pays and one‑time allocations for volunteer fire equipment and technology projects.
Substitute House Bill 2,007, the Legislature’s fiscal‑year 2026 appropriation bill, was reported favorably and adopted by the House after several hours of debate and multiple floor amendments on Feb. 18.
The bill, introduced on the House floor by Appropriations Chair Sherman Waymaster as the chamber’s legislative budget, sets the main state spending priorities for the next fiscal year. The session’s budget debate focused on how to allocate constrained resources amid projected shortfalls and on whether the House should supplement school districts’ special‑education costs.
Why it matters: The budget determines state funding for education, health and human services, corrections, infrastructure and other priorities. This year’s process included several significant policy debates — notably special‑education aid, school meal co‑pays for students with reduced-price eligibility, and one‑time grants for volunteer fire departments.
Major amendment…
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