Friday, October 30, 2009

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson says the state is close to having to consider raising taxes to deal with its ongoing budget problems.

Parkinson said Friday that he's still prepared to make further cuts in the current budget to keep it balanced.

But he also said that he's worried about what will happen if the state considers even deeper cuts during the following fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2010.

He says the state can't cripple its agencies and programs so that they can't recover after the economy improves and revenues revive.

Leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature, who've said consistently that they oppose raising taxes.

State officials were expecting a report Friday from the Department of Revenue on tax collections for October.