Court fees in Kan. rise because of budget issues

Eds: UPDATES with quotes, additional background on budget problems for state, judicial branch; ADDS byline, Internet note. Will be led from interview at 2 p.m. CST with state budget director.

By JOHN HANNA

Associated Press Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Getting married, filing a lawsuit and going to court for a traffic ticket in Kansas has become more expensive, another sign of budget problems that also could mean deeper cuts for schools and social services.

A $10 surcharge on most fees imposed by the state's court system took effect Wednesday because of efforts by the Kansas Supreme Court to handle a budget shortfall. It will stay in effect through June 2010.

The state's 2010 fiscal year began Wednesday, after it ended fiscal 2009 by collecting nearly $126 million less in general tax revenues than anticipated, a shortfall of 2.3 percent.

Gov. Mark Parkinson is scheduled to speak at a news conference Thursday about the steps he'll take to head off a budget deficit for fiscal 2010. Legislators already have reduced the spending financed with state tax dollars for fiscal 2010, and Parkinson has said another round of cuts are coming.

The court system's current budget is $97 million, but the Supreme Court estimates the judicial branch needs another $15.9 million to continue current operations.

The surcharge on court fees is expected to raise about $5 million over the next year, and the judicial branch has had a hiring freeze in place since November. But those steps still might not be enough to prevent the courts from closing an extra week each month starting in January, because most of the judicial branch's budget is salaries.

"We have made and will continue to make every effort to reduce expenditures as much as possible," Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Davis said in a statement Wednesday. "As has always been the case, the judicial branch has no option other than reducing salary expenditures in order to meet a budget cut of any significance."

Davis said the judicial branch will ask legislators to increase its budget when they reconvene in January and noted that it has applied for $2.6 million in federal stimulus funds.

Meanwhile, the cost of a marriage license has risen to $69 and filing a lawsuit in district court is now $166. Court costs associated with a traffic citation have risen to $86.

The Legislature authorized the $10 increases earlier this year, and Davis signed an order on behalf of the court last month.

Legislators are out of session, leaving Parkinson to make decisions about avoiding a budget deficit. He has the power to impose cuts, but raising revenues would require him to call legislators into special session, something his staff has said he doesn't plan to do.

Aid to public schools consumes about half of the state's tax dollars. Public schools, the higher education system and social services account for about 88 percent of the $5.6 billion in spending financed by state revenues.

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On the Net:

Kansas judicial branch: http://www.kscourts.org

Kansas governor: http://www.governor.ks.gov

Kansas Legislature: http://www.kslegislature.org