Sharp partisan debate is underway in the House as that body takes on the $18.4-Billion state budget. It didn’t take long for those differences to surface between Republicans and Democrats, with Representative John Burnett of Kansas City reminding colleagues 114 schools districts have gone to the polls today asking local taxpayers for more money, because – he says – the state has shorted them. Burnett is a Democrat and Republican Jason Crowell, the Majority Floor Leader, confronted him in a heated exchange. Republicans point out the state budgetted more money for education last year than the year before and propose to give even more this year. Democrats counter that the state is giving schools less General Revenue funding and relying too much on other income, such as from the federal government and the lottery. This type of exchange is expected throghout the week. House leadership hopes to get through the arguments and craft a budget by the end of the week.
