A tax proposal failed last night (THUR) in the Kansas House by a huge margin. Lawmakers still need to finish work on a budget and a tax plan that covers a shortfall in the budget. As KPR's Stephen Koranda reports, they'll keep looking for a tax agreement after the first proposal failed on a 3-108 vote.
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Some Kansas lawmakers voted against the bill because it didn’t reinstate enough business income taxes or because it cancelled future personal income tax cuts.
Democratic Representative Tom Sawyer said the bill raised the sales tax too high.
“Sales taxes are regressive. They affect working families, seniors citizens a lot worse than other taxes,” said Sawyer.
Republican Steve Huebert was one of the few lawmakers supporting the bill. He said no tax bill would be perfect.
“We have a job to do. Day 105. It is time to finish up, it is time to get done, it is time to go home,” says Huebert.
House leaders weren’t surprised to see the plan fail. They said it helped them determine what tax proposals might be able to pass the chamber.