Kansas on Friday saw most of a projected state budget shortfall melt away.
A new fiscal forecast for state government is less pessimistic about the economy and tax collections than a dire forecast issued this spring during a statewide lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic. The forecasting group boosted the state's projections for tax collections by $463 million or 6.3% for the current, 2021 budget year that began July 1. The Legislature's nonpartisan research staff now projects a $153 million budget shortfall for the state's 2022 budget year. The researchers in July had projected that the shortfall would approach $1.5 billion.