The Kansas Senate voted almost unanimously Tuesday to kill Governor Sam Brownback’s tax proposal. The 37 to 1 vote sends a message to the governor: Senate leaders want new tax and budget options.
Recently, leaders in the Kansas Senate have been frustrated with the governor’s proposal, which relies largely on increasing business filing fees and taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
Senate President Susan Wagle says she doesn’t like the plan because she says it won’t put the state on solid financial ground. She accuses the governor of not taking the state’s budget deficit seriously.
“We have now aired his plan. If I were him, I would go back to the drawing board,” says Wagle.
Governor Brownback’s office fired back in a statement. A spokesperson says he has discussed multiple plans with legislative leaders and says Senate leaders want to cut education, which his proposal avoids.
"President Wagle has repeatedly requested the governor cut K-12 education funding by approximately $100 million. The governor believes such an allotment to K-12 would be unwise," says spokesperson Melika Willoughby.
Wagle says they’ll regroup and decide where to go next on the issue of taxes.
Stephen Koranda has more: