By Brian R. Hook
December 14, 2009

(KansasReporter) TOPEKA, Kan. - State revenue in Kansas is continuing to drop.

Kansas' total tax receipts in the state's general fund dropped 10.2 percent, or $221.2 million, in November compared with the same month last year, according to a new report out by the Kansas Legislative Research Department.

For fiscal 2010 through November, total receipts fell by 12.6 percent, or $280.8 million, compared to the same period last year. The state's fiscal year starts on July 1^st and runs through June 30^th.

This latest monthly report is the first report based on the revised estimates for fiscaly year 2010, completed last month by the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, consisting of the director of the budget and the director of the Legislative Research Department, and one consulting economist each from Kansas, Kansas State, and Wichita State universities.

The consensus group last month formally projected a $235 million drop in state revenues for fiscal 2010, citing money lost because of lower incomes and less spending by taxpayers across the state.

Total receipts through November were $6.1 million, or 0.3 percent above the new estimate. The Kansas Legislative Research Department, however, warned that it is important to remember that a comparison of just one month is not a reliable basis upon which to identify a trend.

The department's director, Alan Conroy, told KansasReporter last week that they hope to get a clearer picture of the state's general fund receipts in the early months of calendar year 2010.

Despite the contiuning drops in revenue, Director of the Budget Duane Goossen, told KansasReporter last week that he thinks the state is starting to come out of the recession.

"We will come out kind of slow," he said. "And it will take a while before better economic times translate into higher tax collections."