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TOPEKA — TOPEKA – After hours of debate ending about 3:30 a.m., the Kansas House today approved a $13.6 billion spending bill that’s expected to require an additional $300 million in taxes.

The bill, crafted by a coalition of Democrats and mostly moderate Republicans, was passed 71-48.

“This bill doesn’t devastate K-12 education like the one we voted on earlier in the week,” said Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett, referring to the earlier-rejected budget bill favored by the chamber’s conservative Republican leadership. “It lets us open the Stockton prison so we don’t have to release people early who need to serve their sentences. It also helps the frail and disabled in our communities.”

Feuerborn, ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, was credited with putting together the alternative budget, which became known as the “Feuerborn amendment.”

46 amendments

The vote on House Substitute for Senate Bill 572 followed more than 11 hours of debate and 46 offered amendments, many of which were rejected by 20-to-30 vote margins.

By the end of debate, changes to the original Feuerborn plan had added another $9.9 million in spending. If adopted by the Senate later today, as expected, it would leave the state with a projected $2.5 million ending balance at the end of fiscal 2011, which begins July 1.

House GOP conservatives acknowledged the plan would fund important social service programs but faulted it for requiring a tax increase, which they said would dull the state's already slow economic recovery.

“We all know a tax increase will kill jobs,” said Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, chairman of the chamber’s budget committee.

But Democrats said the plan by providing better funding for important education and social service programs would prevent job losses.

“Everything I’ve read says the worst thing we can do during a recession is lay people off,” Feueborn said. “This bill, essentially, holds K-12 education even with where it is now. Can you imagine how many people would be laid off if we cut schools by $171 million the way they (GOP conservatives) wanted to?”

It was a foregone conclusion at the beginning of the debate that House Democrats and their moderate Republican allies had enough votes to approve the plan. But conservative Republicans did what they could to slow the inevitable while making points along the way. They offered a flood of amendments, most of which were certain to fail and many of which would have had little or uncertain consequence for the budget.

By 2 a.m., the chamber was debating an amendment proposed by Rep. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, that would empower state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws, similar to a recent controversial enactment in Arizona.

No vote was taken on Brown's proposal because it was ruled "non-germane" to the budget debate.

But he promised to resurrect the issue at some later date.

"Look for it again," he said.

"Diapers not drugs"

Rep. Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City, followed that with an amendment that would have required random drug testing for people receiving cash welfare assistance, which in Kansas is mostly young, single mothers.

"It's to make sure they're using it (the assistance) for diapers not drugs," Kelley said.

But Democrats said her proposal would be ineffective, punitive to the poor and cost money to implement.

"To pick on someone who just happens to be poor and happens to need a handout is just not fair," said Rep. Geraldine Flaharty, D-Wichita.

Kelley's amendment failed, 50-67.

Democrats also offered some amendments.

Rep. Nile Dillmore, D-Wichita, offered one that took about $111,000 from dues paid to national legislative organizations and shifted it into the popular Meals on Wheels program for the elderly.

"I apologize to the body for having to endure this week of debate," Yoder said as debate on the bill came to a close. "We may not always like the process, but that is the process. This is not the way I wanted it to go, but I certainly respect the way the body wants to go. A yes vote is for one of the largest tax increases in state history."

The House is expected to take up a Senate tax proposal that would fund the Feuerborn budget later today.

The Senate is scheduled to reconvene at 11 a.m. today and the House goes back in at 1 p.m.