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The Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) is a union for executive branch state employees, and the largest union of state employees in Kansas. All non-supervisory, non-confidential classified employees in the executive branch of Kansas state government (exclusive of higher education) are eligible to join KOSE. KOSE’s mission is to make real improvements on issues that matter to state employees, such as compensation, pay equity, healthcare and retirement security, workplace safety, career development, and having a voice on the job. KOSE’s priorities will be driven by the ideas and input of KOSE members. That’s why all eligible state employees are encouraged to join KOSE and get involved. |
KOSE Blog
From the Topeka Capital Journal
Gov. Mark Parkinson must make some more cuts to the state budget after Kansas ended the fiscal year $126 million short of expectations.
Parkinson planned to outline his budget-cutting plans at a news conference Thursday. He has the authority to cut the budget by whatever amount he feels is necessary to balance it, and he has been conferring with legislative leaders to get their input.
“The final reports on state revenues are just coming in and we are reviewing them,” said Parkinson spokeswoman Beth Martino.
The 2009 fiscal year ended Tuesday, and preliminary Department of Revenues show the state collected $126 million less in tax revenue than had been expected. Parkinson wants to ensure that the state doesn’t carry the deficit into the 2010 fiscal year, which starts today.
Kansas' governors and legislators over the past 15 months have done a credible job of balancing the state's expenditures against declining revenues.
The job they have done hasn't been easy, or appreciated by all those it has affected, but they acted out of necessity and we think the results have been well received by the majority of Kansans.
But the heavy lifting isn't done, as evidenced by the state's latest revenue collections, and we would urge caution when elected officials turn their attention later this year to the work of a special commission formed to explore the closure, consolidation or relocation of state facilities for cost-saving measures.
From the Topeka Capital Journal
Two Kansas Lottery employees are among the state’s biggest winners of overtime pay.
A state audit published Wednesday revealed an executive secretary and an administrative specialist at the Topeka lottery office clocked more than 700 hours of overtime in a one-year period, which increased their annual earnings by nearly 50 percent.
“It was somewhat surprising,” said state auditor Levi Bowles.
Auditors were told the lottery employees earned a total of $36,000 in overtime pay by supervising lottery drawings during evening hours. A portion of the extra time was caused by computer software problems, said Ed Van Petten, executive director of the Kansas Lottery.