Gov. Sam Brownback assured constituents that the income tax cuts he championed would stimulate the Kansas economy and supply plenty of money for public schools.
But voters, including many Republicans, appear to have rejected that idea in the face of the state’s budget woes and court battles over education funding. On Tuesday, they ousted 11 of the conservative governor’s allies in favor of more centrist candidates.
The GOP incumbents who lost in the primary included the Senate’s majority leader. Another three conservative House members were trailing Wednesday in still-undecided races.
Kansas has struggled to balance its budget since the GOP-dominated Legislature slashed personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at Brownback’s urging. That created concerns about future spending on schools. Many Republicans regarded school spending as generous.