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Kansas Senate passes two-year appropriations bill after heated debate over schools, Medicaid and special education
Summary
The Kansas Senate approved its substitute for House Bill 2007, the two‑year appropriations measure for fiscal years 2025–2027, after hours of amendments and floor debate. Lawmakers sparred over school funding, a proposed Medicaid expansion tied to special‑education shortfalls and multiple spending amendments that ultimately failed.
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Senate on Tuesday passed its substitute for substitute House Bill 2007, the chamber’s two‑year appropriations measure, after prolonged floor debate and multiple roll‑call votes. The final passage came on a 28‑12 roll call, sending the spending package toward conference with the House.
The bill sets the state’s spending plan for fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, 2026 and 2027. Senators described the measure as an attempt to slow a multiyear trend of spending above revenues; Senate sponsor Senator Billinger said the package trims earlier growth but still “spends about $579,000,000 more than we are projected to bring in,” framing the vote as part of a multiyear effort to reduce that gap.
Why it matters: HB 2007 determines hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for schools, health programs, corrections, infrastructure and other agencies and will shape negotiations with the House. Several high‑profile amendments on education, Medicaid and targeted grants were debated on the floor and voted down or failed by roll call.
Major floor fights and outcomes - Medicaid expansion and special education: An amendment that would have funded special‑education shortfalls by expanding Medicaid (and using projected federal matching funds) drew sustained debate. Proponents argued expansion would generate federal dollars and free state general funds to cover special education; opponents warned of budgetary uncertainty and other fiscal risks. That amendment failed on a roll call (9 in favor, 29 opposed). The floor record shows extended back‑and‑forth on both the policy merits and the fiscal mechanics of expansion and how any savings would be allocated. - School lunches and pregnancy clinic funding: An amendment to reallocate part of an increase proposed for pregnancy resource centers toward eliminating reduced‑price lunch co‑pays for families (roughly $3 million) was debated and put to roll call; the amendment failed (11 in favor, 29 opposed). Supporters said eliminating co‑payments would address child hunger and improve learning; opponents defended increased funding for the centers and raised concerns about precedent and oversight. - Targeted grants and local projects: Multiple floor amendments sought to add or restore specific line items — including a request for $500,000 for the Great Bend Innovation Center to cover sales tax costs if a state sales‑tax exemption certificate could not be obtained. That amendment failed. Lawmakers also debated a $2 million proposal for a Critical Facility Mapping Grant Program for 9‑1‑1 responders; senators asked for additional information about ongoing maintenance and updates for mapped data.
Process and committee actions - The Senate used a base‑budget approach this year rather than starting from the governor’s recommendation; proponents said that gave the chamber more ownership over line‑by‑line decisions, while critics said the compressed time for committee and floor work limited analysis. - Several amendments were adopted that alter language or add reporting requirements to specific line items; others were rejected on division or roll call votes. The Senate appointed a conference committee to negotiate the final budget with House conferees.
What remains unsettled - Special education (SPED) funding was a recurring theme on the floor; senators from multiple districts warned that underfunding SPED forces districts to transfer millions from general education accounts. Several SPED‑focused amendments to add state funding were offered but failed to secure the votes needed on the Senate floor. - The Senate and the House will now negotiate in conference; conferees were appointed and will work to reconcile the chambers’ positions before final adjournment.
Background and next steps - The budget package passed as the Senate’s substitute for substitute House Bill 2007. With Senate passage, conferees from both chambers will meet to produce a final appropriation bill that must be approved before the legislature adjourns for the session.
