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- Sen. Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka Republican who voted in favor of the override, said the governor set the stage for a substantial tax increase by suggesting to the Legislature in January a budget that resembled a house of cards. He talked about closing a $900 million deficit over two years by selling off future tobacco settlement payments to Kansas in exchange for a one-time infusion of cash and recommended the state delay government contributions to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.
“The governor has refused to lead at every turn. The budget that he proposed required securitization of the tobacco funds, not making our KPERS contributions and many other bad ideas,” Schmidt said.