Topeka (WIBW) - The possibility of furloughs for state workers, bumpier roads, access to health care and possible changes at your child's school are all possible under a budget-balancing plan Gov. Mark Parkinson announced Monday.

The cuts total $258.9 million. Gov. Parkinson says they will affect the quality of education in Kansas and they will affect state programs.

The major cuts include $50 million taken from state highway maintenance; $36 million from K-12 education plus not funding another $155 million for districts with increased enrollments and lower property tax revenue; $2 million from the Kansas Regents; and a ten-percent reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates.

In addition, the Governor made budget reductions to individual agencies, leaving it up to them whether that means they will have to furlough or layoff workers.

He says he knows the cuts will hurt, and, for that, he said, "I am genuinely sorry."

Parkinson says he understands the Medicaid reimbursement cut may cause some doctors to stop accepting Medicaid patients. However, he said he pleads with them not to take such action.

Parkinson also said the education cuts are difficult. Among other things, he says he believes they may lead to larger class sizes, which he says can mean the difference between being able to teach and "babysitting."

While Parkinson says he doesn't expect widespread layoffs or furloughs, he did say he expects some. Jane Carter of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, which represents 11,000 state employees, says the workers understand needing to do their share. However, she says they've already seen layoffs and positions held open.

She says it translates to things like longer lines at offices, fewer crews clearing snow off highways and less direction and protection in construction areas. She says a 12-day furlough would equal a five-percent pay cut for workers.

At least one head is already telling his workers to expect unpaid time off. Chief Justice Robert Davis says the judicial branch is losing $3 million. He says it increases the liklihood of furloughs he had outlined earlier this month. The amount, he says, is approximately 12 days of furlough for nonjudicial employees.

Statement from Gov. Mark Parkinson:
“Unfortunately, we are now to the point of potentially making crippling cuts to state services. This latest round of budget reductions will mean that class sizes will again increase in Kansas schools. Some districts will be forced to lay off teachers and close schools. These cuts mean that our universities will have fewer professors, offer fewer classes and critical investments in our future are in jeopardy. These budget cuts will force us to reduce supervision of released prisoners, increase the number of disabled citizens waiting for services and reduce road maintenance across the state,” Parkinson said.

“It is my obligation as a leader to balance the budget. But it is also my duty to protect our most precious resources. So I have once again balanced the budget. I promised that I would and I have kept that promise. But we cannot make it through this recession by cutting ourselves into an incurable position. When the Legislature returns in January, together we must look towards building a solution for the years ahead or we will permanently damage the foundation of our state.”

An overview of the Governor’s budget reductions and adjustments are as follows:

Budget adjustments: $258.9 million

1. Targeted, strategic budget reductions in individual agencies as outlined on the attached list.

2. Reduce highway maintenance funds by $50 million. This is achieved by transferring $50 million from the State Highway Fund to the State General Fund.

3. Reduce the amount transferred from the State General Fund to the Bioscience Authority by $5 million. This will still allow $35 million to be transferred from the General Fund to the Bioscience Authority.

4. Reduce funding for K-12 by $36 million and Regents by $2 million, leaving both at 2006 spending levels. Do not fund recommended $155.8 million K-12 increase based on revised estimates of property tax revenue and student enrollment.

5. Move unspent funds from prior years from individual agency budgets to the State General Fund. This includes the Governor’s Office and the Legislature.

6. Reduce Medicaid reimbursement rates by 10%. This cannot be implemented immediately, so it is estimated it will result in savings of $22 million during the last three months of the fiscal year.

Offset Budget Adjustments with Recovery Act Funds: $85.9 Million

1. Reduce K-12 Supplemental General State Aid by $85.9 million, but offset that reduction with $85.9 million of federal Recovery Act funds that had been budgeted for the 2011 fiscal year. This leaves the state with $189.6 million of Recovery Act funds (State Fiscal Stabilization and Special Education funds) for use in the 2011 budget.

States have discretion over when to draw down these Recovery Act funds. At least 10 states plan to use all of their Fiscal Stabilization Recovery Act funding by the end of FY 2010. A large majority of states plan to use a greater portion of the funding in FY 2010 and a smaller portion in FY 2011.

Statement is from Attorney General Steve Six regarding Governor Mark Parkinson’s budget cuts:

“The recession has put our state in a dire financial situation. Tough choices had to be made in order to balance the State’s budget. However, I am disappointed by the significant cuts made to the Attorney General’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Both agencies play key roles in protecting our families, assisting consumers and preventing fraud in government programs. The money that was cut from our budget is used to fund criminal prosecutions, crime victim services, legal counsel for state agencies and much more.

“The cuts outlined by the governor are significant. The Attorney General’s Office can absorb these cuts and perserve core functions due to our success in the past year recovering tax dollars for the State. After returning money to the Medicaid program and Kansas consumers, our office currently has the ability to fill the substantial hole created in our budget by these cuts. But this is not a sustainable solution to the State’s budget crisis.

“As I mentioned last month, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation already struggles with unfunded mandates, such as the DNA database. These cuts only serve to compound the challenges they already face.

“I encourage the Legislature to come together in January to find a more sustainable solution to the current budget crisis. The safety of our communities should be a priority for lawmakers.”

University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little statement on budget cuts:

“It is relief to know that the governor has found a way to balance the 2010 budget without making further deep cuts to higher education.

"Already, the University of Kansas has sustained significant cuts, leading to a reduction of 200 teaching and staff positions. Those reductions translate into fewer course offerings for our students, larger classes and reduced enrollments in key areas such as nursing and engineering.

"We have also seen these budget reductions impact efforts to obtain National Cancer Institute designation, as we've had to scale back efforts to recruit top faculty and researchers who are vital to this and other important research programs.”

Americans for Prosperity-Kansas director Derrick Sontag on the budget cuts:
“We applaud Gov. Parkinson for his efforts to step up and make the difficult budget decisions that this state requires.

“It’s our hope once the legislative session starts, that the Governor doesn't bow to the demands of taxpayer funded lobbyists calling for tax increases in this difficult economic time for Kansans, but that he is willing to take an even closer look at our state expenditures and propose additional cuts where necessary.

“It is critical in this time of economic difficulty that all areas of the budget be scrutinized, and to seek out long-term solutions to improve how we budget taxpayer dollars.

“We encourage the Governor to continue to look closely at the Kansas budget for ways to remove wasteful spending and to root out redundancies in state agencies and departments, and based on the budget difficulties this year we will continue to promote the implementation of zero-based budgeting for state agencies.”