Wichitopekington

TOPEKA — The state will have to cut at least $258.8 million to balance the current budget by the end of the fiscal year, revenue estimators said Thursday.

The state is expected to bring in about 4.2 percent less in 2010 than forecast in April — or $235.2 million less, the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group said.

The projected minimum budget cut doesn’t include an estimated $155 million public schools are likely to need to cover increased student populations, special education and a jump in students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. That number swells the cuts needed to balance the 2010 budget, which ends June 30, to $459 million.

Not including the additional money for schools is the equivalent to cutting about $150 from per pupil state aid, said Alan Conroy, director of the Kansas Legislative Research Department.

No matter which number is used, “it’s a tremendous hole,” said Sen. Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which handles the budget.

Either number is likely to result in more cuts to public schools.

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The taxman is looking for 708 Kansans, but to return money –- more than half a million dollars overall.

On Thursday, the Internal Revenue Service released its list of taxpayers whose refund checks have been returned to the department. The average amount owed to Kansans is $837, a department release said.

Most often, the checks are returned because the person filing has moved for some reason, such as a college student or couples who got married or divorced, said Michael Devine, IRS spokesman for Kansas and Missouri.

In Sedgwick County, the IRS has been unable to deliver refund checks to 118 people, totaling $80,488, for an average refund of $682. That is down from 2008 when the department could not return checks to 125 people who were owed $774 on average.

In Butler County there were 10 returned checks, Harvey County had five and Sumner County had six. The IRS does not calculate an average refund in counties where fewer than 10 people are owed money.

The list only contains of people who received their refund check by mail, Devine said. Anyone questioning if they are owed money by the federal government can check the status of their refund at irs.gov. To check the status of a refund, people will need their Social Security Number, filing status and the amount of their refund.

People can also change their address online.

“It’s their money,” he said. “We are trying to get them their money and if they ask quickly, they can get it before Christmas.”

For more, read Friday’s Wichita Eagle.

TOPEKA – Kansas has the potential to produce up to 10,000 megawatts of wind power, but for that to happen the state needs transmission lines.

“We need to have the transmission line from Spearville to Wichita to be built,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat, on Wednesday.

That project needs the Southwest Power Pool to regionlize the rates for that area and approve the project.

The project had dropped off the pool’s priority list, the pool oversees nine states.

On Tuesday the pool’s board move the project back on to the priority list.

“It will continue to be our priority to keep it on that list,” he said.

TOPEKA – More cuts to state government could be possible before the end of the year if revenue numbers scheduled to be released are as bad as anticipated.

Wednesday, Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat, promised that the current budget would be balanced when the Republican-lead Legislature returns to Topeka in January.

“I’m going to take all the heat,” Parkinson said during a news conference in the Capitol.

Current estimates project a more than $100 million shortfall for the 2010 budget, which started July 1. The dollar amount could grow depending on what the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group says next week.

Kansas has seen four rounds of spending reductions this year from its $13 billion annual budget.

Next Thursday, revenue estimators will release their projections of the amount of money Kansas is expected to have to operate. Any cuts to the current budget and next year’s budget, which lawmakers will hammer out during the session, will be based on those figures.

Parkinson would not say how he planned to balance the budget but a likely option would be  cuts to state agencies.

Any decisions would be made with input from legislative leaders, Parkinson said.

TOPEKA – Three local centers received grants from the state to help abused children, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.

The grants were part of $934,591 from the State Children’s Advocacy Centers Grant Program distributed to 14 centers around the state.

Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County received $112,613, Sunlight Child Advocacy Center in Butler County received $40,121 and Heart to Heart in Harvey County received $70,807.

The money that the Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County received can be used to support staff salaries, forensic interviews or family support advocates who help connect families with local resources, Gov. Mark Parkinson’s office said in a written statement. For many centers, the grant program’s award is their primary source of funding.

“Children’s Advocacy Centers provide a safe place for abused children to talk about difficult and frightening abuse,” said Parkinson, a Democrat. “I’m grateful these centers are available to our children, and I am pleased to assist them in carrying out their important mission.”