Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and top Kansas lawmakers are not on the same page about ending an income tax break for farmers and business owners.

The GOP-controlled Legislature opens its annual session Monday and must close projected budget shortfalls totaling $1.1 billion through June 2019.

Legislative leaders said this week that they see bipartisan support for repealing the tax break, which was enacted in 2012 and benefits more than 330,000 farmers and business owners.

Senate Majority Leader and Overland Park Republican Jim Denning predicted that even though Brownback championed the tax break, he’d allow a bill to repeal it to become law without his signature.

But in comments to reporters this week, Brownback defended the tax break as a pro-growth policy that particularly helps small businesses.