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Bill Allows Governor To Delay Kansas Pension Payments

Stephen Koranda
/
KPR/File photo

A proposal in the Kansas House gives the governor the authority to delay payments to the state pension plan this year if Kansas runs into budget trouble.

Republican Rep. Gene Suellentrop says this gives the governor a temporary option to keep the state from running a deficit.

“In the ’17 budget it would need to be balanced and those payments would need to be replaced,” Suellentrop says.

Republican Rep. Steven Johnson wonders if Kansas will be able to pay back any delayed payments.

“My concern is we had to do it last year, we’re saying we’ll pay it back next year," Johnson says. "I’m not confident in our ability to pay it back next year looking at the revenues and budget situation that’s currently forecast."

Johnson says the state has made progress in reducing a deficit in KPERS, the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. He says payments are delayed, the long-term shortfall will grow.

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.