LAWRENCE (AP) – Gov. Sam Brownback says it will be challenging to implement new income tax cuts but he’s confident his administration will make the adjustments and the state economy will grow.

The Republican governor spoke Monday at the University of Kansas as part of the business school’s lecture series.

The governor worked with the 2012 Legislature to cut individual income tax rates and eliminate income tax for owners of nearly 200,000 companies in Kansas.

Brownback acknowledges the cuts will decrease state revenues in the first few months. But he projected the reductions will improve the economy and create thousands of new jobs in the long run.

But, Democrats contend the tax cuts will hurt middle and lower income residents and shift the tax burden. They say it will raise taxes on working and middle class citizens. They also argue that it will not pay for itself. They site the non-partisan Kansas Legislative Research Department, saying Brownback’s tax plan will create a $2.5 billion shortfall over the next six years.

And, Democrats argue the bond credit rating organization “Moody’s” recently predicted “no improvement in economic growth” as a result of the tax cuts in Kansas.