Sales tax proposal faces challenge in Kansas House; House leaders disagree over use of ending balance; Kansans set Guinness World Record.
Sales Tax Proposal Faces Challenge In KS House
The Kansas Senate could vote on Gov. Sam Brownback's tax proposal this week, but some are questioning whether one of its main provisions can pass the House.
House Leaders Disagree On Using State's Ending Balance
Lawmakers in the House are arguing over how to use the state's financial reserves.
State law requires that legislators keep a reserve of 7.5 percent of the annual spending budget in reserve, but lawmakers often ignore that rule. There is about $500 million in the reserve right now.
Mark Rhoades of Newton chairs the House Appropriations Committee. He says he would like to keep the reserve intact, because it's required under law and legislators have worked hard to build up the present balance.
Kansans Set World Record For Food Packing
Two-thousand volunteers packed 479,000 meals in just 32 minutes at the Kansas Coliseum on Saturday. They set a Guinness World Record and the meals will feed hungry people in Haiti.
Housing Developer Places Winning Bid For Vacant Mueller Elementary
Mark Cox, owner of Vintage Construction, offered $56,000 at an auction for the vacant Mueller Elementary School building last week. The Wichita school board will now decide whether to approve the sale.
The 61-year-old school in northeast Wichita is zoned for single-family residential development. Cox says the building is in good shape, and he hopes to convert it into housing.
Mueller was one of five Wichita school buildings that closed last spring as part of cost-cutting measures and new attendance boundaries.
