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Statehouse Republicans Gather In Rare Meeting

It was an unusual day at the Kansas Statehouse Thursday, as Republicans from the House and Senate gathered to smooth out differences between the two chambers on tax and budget issues. Some lawmakers said it had been at least seven years since Republicans from the two chambers met as a group to discuss policy.

“It’s fun as we go out to our dinners and take potshots at each other almost as if we’re competitors," said Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover who heads the Kansas Senate budget committee. "But in reality, we’re all part of the same team, we are the legislative branch.”

Reaching a compromise has been difficult, since the budget bills in the Kansas House and Senate have been predicting different levels of future economic growth for the state.

Senate President Susan Wagle says it may be too late in the week to reach a consensus and have the bills ready for a vote over the weekend.

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.