Kansas officials plan to issue new fiscal forecast

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas officials are preparing to issue a new fiscal forecast to guide legislators and Gov. Sam Brownback in making budget decisions.

Forecasters were meeting Thursday afternoon to revise earlier revenue projections for the current fiscal year and for the fiscal year beginning in July.

Since July 2013, the state has collected $141 million more than anticipated, a surplus of 3.6 percent compared with the official forecast.

But total revenues are running 5.6 percent behind collections from the previous fiscal year because of personal income tax cuts championed by Brownback.

The current forecast was issued in November and predicts state revenues of $5.9 billion each during the current and next fiscal years.

The forecasters include legislative researchers, members of Brownback's budget stuff, Department of Revenue officials and university economists.