The Kansas Senate’s tax committee has voted to eliminate a property tax exemption for homeowners. The action would raise property taxes by $46 a year for most homeowners. The statewide total would top $45 million.
The committee chose not to take up several other tax proposals today (TUE) and rejected, at least for now, the idea of raising tobacco and alcohol taxes. Republican Senator Les Donovan, who chairs the tax committee, expressed frustration at the lack of progress.
“It is getting very critical that we get something moving, something done. And we’re not trying to raise $10,000 for a bake sale, we’re trying to get the budget for the state of Kansas fixed,” says Donovan.
The committee hopes to identify tax increases to help close a budget gap of more than $400 million. The budget shortfall comes after lawmakers cut taxes in recent years.