The Associated Press

Gov. Sam Brownback hasn’t ruled out having Kansas balance its budget by keeping its sales tax at the same rate rather than letting it drop next year as planned.

Brownback acknowledged Wednesday that he is anticipating state revenues will dip temporarily because of massive income tax cuts he signed into law earlier this year. He said a sales tax proposal remains a possibility but he won’t make a decision until he sees how the budget picture develops.

The sales tax is 6.3 percent, but it is scheduled to drop to 5.7 percent in July. The state boosted the tax in 2010 — before Brownback took office — to protect public schools and social services spending, but pledged that most of the increase would be temporary.

Brownback pushed income tax cuts this year as a way to stimulate the state’s economy, but the conservative Republican governor has faced criticism from Democrats for months that the aggressive package he signed into law will force the state to slash its spending in the future. Democrats also have speculated that Brownback is preparing to ask legislators to extend the current sales tax rate.

“I’m not opposed to it,” Brownback said. “It’s just, let’s see where we are in the budget.”