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Gov. Brownback Won't Rule Out Tax Increase To Fix Budget

Governor Sam Brownback is staying tight-lipped about his plans to fix a hole in the state budget. But as Stephen Koranda reports, Brownback says he's looking at all the options.

Following a meeting at the Statehouse, Brownback gave few details to the media about what he'll propose. He says all options are on the table, including tax increases or slowing future scheduled decreases.

Brownback also won't say whether he'll make budget cuts, known as allotments before lawmakers return to the Statehouse in January.

Right now, he says he's conferring with state agencies and studying the numbers.

"We're analyzing it and we'll try to act as wisely and as prudently and as quickly as we can," says Brownback.

Kansas will need to reduce spending by about a billion dollars over the next year-and-a-half.

Some Republicans have hinted they'll consider both tax increases and spending cuts, others say they'll focus just on cuts.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.