Democrats respond to Governor Brownback's assessment of the state's finances. Pictured, left to right, are Representative Paul Davis (D-Lawrence), Senator Anthony Hensley (D-Topeka) and Senator Tom Holland (D-Baldwin City). (Photo by Stephen Koranda)
Democrats in the Kansas Legislature today (FRI) criticized Governor Sam Brownback’s assessment of the state’s finances. State estimates show Kansas ended the fiscal year with more than $460 million in reserves. This week, Brownback said the state is in a good financial position to handle a large income tax cut passed by the Legislature last session. But the Senate’s top Democrat, Anthony Hensley of Topeka, says the state budget would take a big hit from the tax cut.
Brownback and other supporters of the income tax cut say it will help boost economic growth in Kansas. But critics of the multi-billion dollar income tax reduction say it will create budget deficits in the coming years.