Parkinson Warns of School Cuts if Federal Money Doesn’t Appear (KS)

July 1, 2010

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson joined more than a dozen governors Wednesday to plead with Congress for $25 billion in additional aid to states.

Parkinson warned that he will have no choice but to slash school funding if Congress doesn’t approve an extension of emergency Medicaid dollars.

“I am not a liberal that thinks we need to spend money all the time,” he said. “We have cut the waste that can be cut. We have cut beyond the waste. If we do not receive this money that we are counting on, I will have to cut schools.”

He said the reductions could force the layoff of 3,600 teachers statewide.

“What that means in the real world is it means class sizes,” Parkinson said, suggesting that classes of 25 students would be increased to 30 or 35. “It makes a difference. A first-grader only gets one year to be in the first grade and learn how to read.”

A year ago, Congress increased the federal contribution to state Medicaid programs as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But the extra money expires in December. Some 30 states based their budgets on the assumption that Congress would authorize an extension.

The House endorsed the extension twice and the Senate once. But the extension now languishes, waiting for a final vote.

Many members of Congress — including Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback of Kansas — said they understand the need for the money but cannot vote to increase the federal budget deficit.

If Congress continues to balk, Kansas will find itself with a $130 million hole in the budget taking effect today.

That prompted Parkinson, a Democrat, to join governors from California, New York, Illinois, Washington, Pennsylvania, Colorado and other states in a teleconference from Washington. The governors warned of dire consequences to their states if the money isn’t approved.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, noted that her state has arguably suffered the worst during the recession, and that she’s cut a full 25 percent of her budget. She worried that Congress could “force this nation into a double-dip recession” if it failed to help the states.

California has the most to lose — some $1.8 billion, according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.

“Like all states California has been hit very hard. Over the last three years we have been forced to make more than 60 billion in spending cuts,” he said. “The federal money is critical to preventing deeper pain and deeper job losses.”

Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said his state would have no choice but to lay off hundreds of teachers, college faculty and other state workers if his state doesn’t get its share of the Medicaid extension.

But Rendell declined to discuss ways Congress could pay for the Medicaid extension without increasing the deficit.

“That is something we will leave to Congress,” he said.

Missouri did not include the unapproved Medicaid dollars in its budget. Gov. Jay Nixon has said that if the state receives the extra money it will go towards the next year’s budget.