The Kansas State House
Credit: Susie Fagan / Heartland Health Monitor

The Kansas Statehouse is relatively quiet these days. Only the arrival of the occasional busload of school children disturbs the calm.

That will change when lawmakers return April 27 to face what is expected to be more bad news about the budget.

Legislative leaders are hoping to finish their wrap-up session in a matter of days. But many involved in the process say that could be wishful thinking given a lack of consensus on how to balance the state budget in the face of continuing revenue shortfalls.

Tax receipts were $54 million below official estimates in February, and lawmakers are bracing for more bad news this week when the March numbers are revealed. And Shawn Sullivan, the governor’s budget director, said it’s likely that the consensus revenue estimating group will once again lower the projections used to formulate the budget.

“I would expect — and I think anybody who sees the balance sheet and the revenues […]