Kansas tax revenues have been tanking for years, ever since Governor Sam Brownback and a Republican-led Kansas legislature passed disastrous tax cuts. Expecting the tax cuts would drive new business to the state, it’s ended up doing the exact opposite. The only thing trickling down are jobs—which are trickling right out of Kansas and going to other states. The situation for Kansas schools and other critical state services is becoming dire:
Revenue marks that fell short in July and August, coupled with the roughly $45 million miss announced Monday, have widened the budget gap with nine months still to go in the fiscal year.
Collections so far this fiscal year have been $67.7 million below estimates, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.
And yet, Kansas Republicans have found all kinds of ways to continue wasting taxpayer money, particularly when it comes to spending on lawyer fees defending their wrong-headed, often unconstitutional policies. The latest big spend from the so-called “fiscal conservatives” comes in the form of an another attack on Planned Parenthood. From KCUR:
The state of Kansas incurred nearly $300,000 in legal fees in just three months to defend a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood challenging the state’s decision to boot the organization from the Medicaid program.
Invoices obtained by KCUR show that outside law firms representing the state billed it $282,477 in legal fees and $2,725 in expenses between May 29 and Aug. 31.
The invoices were provided by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in response to a Kansas Open Records Act request. KDHE Secretary Susan Mosier is the defendant in the lawsuit, which seeks to overturn her decision in May to block Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood.
And that’s not all. If Kansas loses, they’ll be forced to pick-up Planned Parenthood’s legal bills as well.
That’s what happened to Missouri in August, when it was ordered to pay Planned Parenthood $156,000 in legal fees after it lost a court battle over its attempt to revoke Planned Parenthood’s abortion license in Columbia, Missouri
An estimated 1 in 5 women will seek healthcare from Planned Parenthood in their lifetime.
When it comes to ending access to safe, affordable healthcare for women, there is apparently nothing Kansas Republicans won’t spend.
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