The Latest: Kansas GOP leader sees good news on jobs

The top Republican in the Kansas House says there's much good news in the state's economy despite a new fiscal forecast that slashed projected revenues.

The Stilwell Republican said in a statement that lawmakers would work to keep the budget balanced with what he called "a broad, clear-headed view of the actual situation."

The figures were included in documents prepared by legislative researchers ahead of a Wednesday evening Statehouse news conference and obtained by The Associated Press from another source.

State officials, legislative researchers and university economists met Wednesday to draft revised projections for tax collections through June 2017.

Kansas has struggled to balance its budget since the GOP-dominated Legislature slashed personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at Brownback's urging to stimulate the economy.

The promised job growth hasn't arrived, and a growing number of disillusioned Republicans want to reverse a key policy — an income tax exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners — to address the state's budget woes.