Governor Laura Kelly says there’s a lot of work to do to get the state of Kansas back on track after struggles with the budget, school funding and other issues.   The governor was the speaker for an issues forum that was held Friday by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The governor said failed tax policies put the state into the red, causing critical services to all but disappear.  She said it has become increasing clear that things were even worse than originally thought.   She said many state agencies were seriously neglected and mismanaged, and agencies have been underfunded, with staff shortages in road maintenance and corrections.  She said “we have a lot of things to repair, and we have only begun to look under the hood,” but her administration will work to make things right.

The governor said her budget is structurally balanced to pay down the debt that was built up over the past decade, and she said the state needs to get back on sound fiscal footing.   She said her administration has presented a plan to fund schools and end the cycle of litigation.  She said by investing in students, the state will have a solid workforce for business and industry.   She said investing in schools will be critical to a changing economy.

Governor Kelly also wants to protect the state’s highway fund and continue work on critical road projects, and she said she wants to end all transfers from highway funding to other areas of the state budget.   She said if the state protects the highway funds, it can address critical projects in the future, such as the North Junction in Wichita that connects I-135, I-235, K-96 and K-254.

The governor said another way to support economic growth is to expand Medicaid.  She said 30 percent of the state’s hospitals are financially vulnerable, and she called attention to the announcement this week that the Oswego Community Hosptial would be closing.   Kelly said expanding Medicaid would not only protect rural hospitals but it would help medical facilities in Wichita that have recently had to cut jobs.   She said 36 states have seen a positive economic impact from the expansion of Medicaid, including more jobs and a healthier workforce, and the failure of Kansas to act has cost over $3 billion in federal funding that has gone to other states.

Governor Kelly said the state faces challenges and the road to recovery will be a long one, but she is committed to bring people together to find solutions.   She said one person, not even the governor, can act alone to achieve consensus, but “That’s the whole point.  We have to work together.”