KTKA

Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, is serving as an attorney for a number of groups that have filed a lawsuit against the state over a budget bill passed by the Legislature.

O’Neal defended his action, but Gov. Mark Parkinson wasn’t pleased with the development. Parkinson said because of the state’s budget crisis, “People shouldn’t be suing the state right now.”

The dispute is over an appropriations bill approved by the Legislature last year to help balance the budget. The bill included a sweep of fee funds from various agencies.

O’Neal opposed the bill and now represents 18 plaintiffs affected by the sweep, including the Kansas Association of Realtors and the Kansas Bankers Assocation. The groups have filed a lawsuit in Shawnee County District court.

O’Neal said he complied with state ethics laws in order to represent the group, noting he voted against the measure and filed a written protest. He argues the sweep of funds was unconstitutional because the funds were paid by individuals and businesses to be used for specific purposes.

Last month, in the Republican response to Parkinson’s State of the State, O’Neal criticized school districts that were threatening to sue the state over budget cuts.