How much of the mental health cuts is really Brownback?

It's no secret that the Kansas government likes to cut budgets. And, when it comes to cuts to mental health funding, the state is starting to lag behind: we've cut our budget for mental health services by 12 percent since 2009, and we don't stack up that favorably compared to other states, either.

And, as with most policy related to the Kansas budget, it may be tempting to blame Gov. Sam Brownback, whose small-government philosophy has driven his supporters to shrink spending. But surprisingly, for many mental health centers included in the budgets for upcoming fiscal years, Brownback recommended more funding, but was shot down by the Legislature. In some cases, the difference could have greatly expanded the coverage these centers could provide — take Rainbow Mental Health Facility in Kansas City, Kan., which is slated to receive $7.2 million in fiscal year 2015, but for which Brownback recommended a little over $8 million.