By Associated Press - Wednesday, March 6, 2019

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Latest on the debate in Kansas over increasing funding for public schools (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for increasing public education funding has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature despite unexpected resistance from some local school districts.

A Senate committee on school funding approved Kelly’s proposed increase of roughly $90 million a year on a voice vote Wednesday. The support for the Democratic governor’s bill came from the committee’s Republican majority and sent it to the full Senate for debate.

Kelly views her proposal as a simple way to comply with a Kansas Supreme Court mandate to boost education funding.

But fellow Democrats on the committee didn’t support her plan after a coalition of 48 school districts withdrew its support. Those districts said a second look convinced them that the plan would not provide enough money to satisfy the court.

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11:30 a.m.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is meeting unexpected resistance to her plan for boosting public education funding.

It’s coming from local school districts that dropped their support for her proposal after a second look convinced them it wouldn’t supply enough new money.

The Democratic governor touts her proposed increase of roughly $90 million a year as the simple answer to comply with a Kansas Supreme Court mandate on education funding.

She initially won over Schools for Fair Funding. It’s a coalition of 48 school districts backing an ongoing lawsuit against the state that includes the four districts that sued in 2010.

But the group withdrew its support ahead of a Senate committee hearing Wednesday.

The group contends a further review showed Kelly’s proposal would fall short of satisfying the court.

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