A veteran central Kansas lawmaker has resigned from the state House Appropriations Committee, giving up his position as its vice chairman.

Republican Rep. John Edmonds of Great Bend says his other legislative duties and outside professional commitments don’t leave him with enough time to serve on the budget-writing committee.

The vice chairman helps draft the final version of budget legislation.

Edmonds sent a letter Friday to Appropriations Committee Chairman Ron Ryckman Jr. and Ryckman made it public Tuesday.

Edmonds is a certified public accountant. He served in the House from 1995 through 2006 and decided not to seek re-election that year. But he ran again successfully in 2012 and was re-elected last year.

House Speaker Ray Merrick is expected to fill the vacancy on the Appropriations Committee this week.