GOP Tax Plan Advances, Heads to Governor for Possible Veto
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Most Kansans would pay state income taxes at the same rate under a bill passed Thursday by state lawmakers. The bill is now headed to the governor for a potential veto. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill includes several tax reforms that both Republicans and Democrats agree on, like eliminating taxes on social security income. But the two parties differ on income tax. Republicans want a flat tax rate of 5.25 percent on annual income over roughly $6,000 … which they say is fair and would boost the economy. “If this single-rate tax concept is OK for sales and property tax, why is it not also OK for income tax?” asked Republican state Representative Adam Smith. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, however, opposes a flat tax. She says it primarily benefits the wealthy.
(–Additional Reporting–)
Republican Legislators Pass Tax Cut Package; Governor Expected to Veto Measure
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas on Thursday passed a broad package of tax cuts promoted as widespread relief that the Democratic governor is likely to veto because she says it favors the wealthy and threatens the state’s budget in the future.
The opposing viewpoints kept the two sides locked in a political impasse as the window for meaningful tax cuts narrows.
The GOP-supermajority Legislature approved a plan to cut income, sales and property taxes by a total of nearly $1.6 billion over the next three years. But Gov. Laura Kelly is expected to veto the bill because it would move Kansas to a single personal income tax rate of 5.25% to replace three rates that now top out at 5.7%.
The measure cleared the Legislature on an 81-37 vote in the House after the Senate approved it Wednesday, 25-11. While Republicans appeared to have the two-thirds majority in the House to override a veto, the defections of two Republicans and a conservative independent in the Senate appear to leave them at least a vote short there.
A similar dispute thwarted big tax cuts last year, when a dozen other states cut taxes, according to the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation.
Kelly's office wasn't commenting Thursday, but she's been public about her strong opposition to the “flat” tax proposal, viewing it as a boon to the state's “super wealthy.” Also, her office released a projection Thursday showing that the GOP plan would cause a budget shortfall in 2029.
Democratic state Rep. Henry Helgerson of Wichita argued during Thursday's debate that lawmakers cannot enact the Republicans' tax cuts without committing to budget cuts first.
“Right now, I don't see it,” he said.
The figures released by Kelly's office didn't show what assumptions it used for growth in spending or revenues over time, and Republicans dismissed them. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said he agrees that the state faces future budget problems if Kelly wants to “spend like a drunken sailor.”
“However, if the state engages in basic fiscal responsibility, there will continue to be ample money available to deliver ongoing and meaningful tax reductions to Kansans,” Masterson said in an emailed statement Thursday.
Republicans also defended their package as fair because it contains provisions that will exempt roughly 310,000 additional Kansas residents from income taxes, on top of the 40,000 or so poorest ones. The plan included provisions that would exempt the first $20,300 of a married couple’s income from state taxes — more if they have children, with the amounts rising with inflation after 2025.
Republican leaders married the income tax proposals to a proposal from Kelly to eliminate the state’s 2% sales tax on groceries starting April 1 and proposals she embraced to exempt all of retirees’ Social Security income from taxes and to lower homeowners’ property taxes.
“It's a great package,” Republican state Sen. Caryn Tyson, the Senate tax committee's chair, said before Wednesday's vote in her chamber. “It's got a little something for everybody.”
The impasse last year over taxes had Kansas projecting that it will have nearly $4.5 billion in surplus cash at the end of June, equal to 17% of the state’s current $25 billion budget.
Yet Kansas also is debating tax cuts at a time when the nationwide tax-cutting trend could be slowing as a revenue surge fueled by federal spending and inflation recedes.
Kansas' state tax collections are in line with last year's but about 1.1% below projections. Monthly collections have fallen short of expectations each of the past three months; that happened only five times in the previous six years.
“This is a time when state revenues and surpluses, we're seeing, are starting to flatten across the country,” said Neva Butkus, a state policy analyst for the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Butkus also said that, even with its provisions aimed at helping poor families, the GOP package would widen the gap between the poorest, who already pay a higher percentage of their incomes in taxes, and the wealthiest.
Figures from the Kansas Department of Revenue show that with the proposed single-rate tax, a little more than half of the raw dollar savings would go to the 3.8% of filers from Kansas earning more than $250,000 a year. That group pays 41% of the personal income taxes collected from Kansas residents.
The smallest cuts, both in terms of raw dollars and the average percentage, would go to Kansas residents earning between $50,000 and $75,000 a year.
“Not only does it help the wealthy, it does nothing for the middle class,” said state Rep. Tom Sawyer, another Wichita Democrat.
But many Republicans argued that a simpler income tax system is fairer and said Kansas needs to become more competitive with other states. The Tax Foundation said in a 2022 report that Kansas residents pay more of their incomes in taxes than residents of most surrounding states.
In 2022, Iowa moved to a flat tax, initially set at 4.4% but scheduled to drop eventually to 3.9%. Now, GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds is pushing to cut the rate to $3.65% for this year.
Masterson said retaining an income tax with multiple rates would keep Kansas “behind the eight ball” economically.
“It's not the future,” he said.
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Proposed Kansas Bill Would Address Guardianship Issues
UNDATED (KNS) – People with disabilities who do not want a guardianship could have a new legal option under a bill being debated by a Kansas House committee. The Kansas News Service reports that the supported decision-making agreements would allow individuals with special needs to select advisors to help them with things like health care and financial decisions. However, they would keep the right to make the decision themselves. Critics of the bill say the same support can be established by giving someone power of attorney. But Colin Olenick of the Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas says his father has power of attorney over him. And his father could make decisions for him without his consent – something a supported decision-making agreement would prohibit. “It would allow a person to support me, but give me the final say in what I do with my life,” Olenick observed. Several states have enacted supported decision making agreement laws in recent years. The Kansas bill would need committee approval to advance to the House for consideration.
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Bill Would Require Kansas Schools to Have Defibrillators on Campus
UNDATED (KNS) – A bill introduced in the Kansas Legislature would require schools to plan for cardiac emergencies and have defibrillators on campus. the Kansas News Service reports that testimony about the bill took place Wednesday at the Statehouse. Amanda Herman’s daughter Reagan was playing in a high school basketball tournament in Topeka last summer when she went into sudden cardiac arrest. Bystanders saved her life using an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Now Herman is advocating for a bill that would require schools to have defibrillators on hand. “They should be right outside gymnasiums or sports facilities. They have to be right there and accessible,” she said. The Kansas measure is modeled after laws in about two dozen other states. School officials say they support the idea but would need more funding for AEDs, which cost more than $1,000 each.
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Shooting at KC's Crown Center Injures Six People
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - Six people have been shot and wounded at Crown Center in Kansas City. A gunfight broke out in the food court Wednesday evening, shutting down the shopping mall and drawing a large police response. The Kansas City Star reports that none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. Police detained multiple people at the scene but it remains unclear whether any of them were arrested.
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County Official Vetoes Stadium Tax for April Ballot, Affecting Kansas City Chiefs and Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jackson County, Missouri Executive Frank White vetoed an ordinance Thursday that would have put a 3/8th-cent sales tax renewal on the April ballot to fund sports stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals.
“This proposed sales tax would generate over $2 billion from our residents, yet there is no clear understanding or assurance regarding the teams’ commitments and contributions to the county,” White said in a news release, the Kansas City Star reported. “It’s not a good deal for taxpayers and I cannot support an agreement that is not in their best interest.”
Shortly after the veto announcement, four county legislators said they sided with White. In order to override White's veto, the County Legislature — which has nine members — would need six votes. They are approaching a Jan. 23 deadline to put the stadium tax decision in front of voters this spring.
The Royals and Chiefs released a joint statement after White's veto that said, “We respect the County Executive’s veto authority. We will continue working with the legislators to ensure that this ordinance is on the ballot on April 2 so that Jackson County voters have the opportunity to decide on the extension of the current 3/8th-cent sales tax.”
The Royals are seeking to use the sales tax to help fund building a new downtown ballpark, though they have not yet announced their location. The Chiefs have consistently stated their intentions to renovate Arrowhead Stadium.
The current stadium leases at the Truman Sports Complex expire in 2031. Although some legislators pointed out Thursday that April isn’t the only ballot in 2024 or in the years ahead of that expiration date, both teams have targeted April for the measure. They are said to have support from the current governor’s office, which has pushed their urgency.
On January 8, county legislators voted 8-1 to approve ballot language for the new 3/8th-cent sales tax to replace the current one that expires in September 2031. White wasn’t in favor of that at the time and wanted more time to get additional concessions from the teams for the county in the deal.
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Cybersecurity Incident Disrupts IT Services at Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) — A cybersecurity incident disrupted part of the computer systems at Kansas State University in Manhattan. The incident interrupted the university's VPN, K-State Today emails and videos on Canvas or Mediasite. School officials say they were able to confirm that these disruptions were the result of a recent cybersecurity incident. As a result, affected systems were taken offline and will remain offline as an investigation continues. K-State will use third-party IT forensic experts during the investigation. Updates will be posted at k-state.edu/update.
(–Additional reporting–)
Cybersecurity Incident Shuts Down Some Network Systems at K-State
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas State University officials say a cybersecurity incident has shut down several network systems on campus. The Kansas News Service reports that the incident has disrupted K-State’s private network, as well as emails and video platforms that let students access lectures and other materials. University officials say impacted systems were taken offline and will remain down while the investigation continues. It will also affect shared drives and printers, and university listservs. Officials say they’re working with information technology forensic experts to determine the source of the problem. They urge students and faculty to follow cybersecurity best practices and report any suspicious activity.
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UPDATE: The Boil Water Advisory for the City of Topeka has been lifted. However, the boil water advisories for Shawnee County Rural Water District 1C and the Metro Topeka Airport Authority are still in effect, pending laboratory results.
Topeka's Water Woes Linger
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - Much of Topeka and parts of Shawnee County remain under a boil water advisory. And according to the Topeka Capital-Journal, residents will need to flush about 60 million of gallons of water through the system before the advisory can be lifted. City leaders say water customers should turn on all indoor faucets in their home or business for 10 to 15 minutes to flush water through their own local systems. Officials say 60 million gallons of water must be boiled or discarded in the wake of potential contamination in the city's water supply. The boil water advisory was issued Sunday and remains in effect. Meanwhile, state health officials have lifted boil-water advisories for the cities of Winchester, Belvue, and Muscotah.
(-Related-)
KDHE Announces End to Boil-Water Advisories for Winchester, Belvue, and Muscotah
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has announced that the boil-water advisories for the cities of Winchester, Belvue, and Muscotah have been lifted. No matter which municipality or utility declares a boil-water order, it must be lifted by the KDHE. You can read the details surrounding the rescinding of these individual orders at the KDHE website, or click the following links:
- City of Winchester, Jefferson County
- City of Belvue, Pottawatomie County
- City of Muscotah, Atchison County
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Audio Reader's BIG Audio Sale Opens at Lawrence Public Library
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Audio-Reader, the radio reading service for the blind and vision impaired at the University of Kansas, is holding a massive audio sale this week at the Lawrence Public Library. Organizer Beth McKenzie says the sale features vinyl records, CDs and brand-name audio equipment from high-end manufacturers like Marantz, Pioneer and Martin-Logan. "And so this is a sale that you won't want to miss if you're interested in vintage audio, vinyl and music you can put your hands on," she said. McKenzie says the gently used audio equipment has all been tested by professionals. "We will have all kinds of vintage and gently-used audio equipment, as well as a wide variety of vinyl records. And the library will have thousands of CDs." McKenzie says high-end audio receivers from Marantz and Pioneer as well as speakers from Martin-Logan will be sold for far less than market value. The big sale takes place Friday (6:30-8:30pm) and Saturday (12-6pm) at the Lawrence Public Library. More details available on the Audio Reader website.
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Kansas Bill Would Include Drug Overdoses in Good Samaritan Law Protections
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A bipartisan group of Kansas lawmakers has introduced a bill to include drug overdoses in its Good Samaritan law. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill would protect most people from prosecution if they call 9-1-1 to get medical attention for someone they’re with who’s experiencing an overdose. Advocates say it will allow people to feel more comfortable calling for help without fear of prosecution for being in possession of a substance. Thomas Simmons of the Kansas Recovery Network in Reno County says that if the bill is passed, it can help save lives. “My take on this is how many people are dying that don't have to be because we are threatening the people that are trying to save them,” he explained. The lawmakers have already received support from law enforcement groups, which removes a major hurdle in getting the bill passed.
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Kansas Bill Would Limit Ways for Kansans to Request Mail-In Ballots
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas voters would have fewer ways to apply for mail-in ballots under a bill being considered by state lawmakers. Under current state law, voters can apply for mail-in ballots through sources like advocacy groups and the Kansas Secretary of State’s office. But the Kansas Senate will soon discuss a bill that would allow only county election officials to send out applications - and only at the request of a voter. Some Republicans have criticized mail-in ballots, claiming they are more susceptible to fraud. Millions of unsolicited ballots were mailed to voters during the 2020 election, during the pandemic. Kansas election officials have defended the legitimacy of voting by mail.
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Kansas Bill Targets Hair Discrimination
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas residents who wear hairstyles linked to their ancestry may soon have more protection in the workplace. A bill would amend the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to forbid workplace prejudice based on a person’s ancestral hairstyle. It would bar discrimination based on hair texture or protective styles such as locs, braids or twists. Stacey Knoell, executive director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, urged lawmakers to pass the bill. Knoell says the bill will tell people of color they are welcome and protected in Kansas. "What my hair looks like has no bearing on whether or not I can do my job," she said. "It’s purely a cosmetic decision.” Similar efforts have not passed the statehouse but some local communities, like Lawrence and Wichita, have created protections.
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Missouri Man Linked to Catalytic Converter Thefts Sentenced
UNDATED (KCUR) – The Missouri man that law enforcement calls the Kingpin of catalytic converter thefts in the Kansas City metro was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison. KCUR Radio reports that the government says 58-year-old James Spick made 11-million dollars between 2018 and 2021 selling catalytic converters, many of them stolen. Spick was ordered to forfeit four-point-four million dollars in ill-gotten gains – in addition to serving five years. Spick owns J&J Recycling on Truman Road in Independence where, the government says, he paid up to 20-thousand dollars a day in cash for stolen catalytic converters. Spick then sold those converters to two out-of-state companies, PMG of Texas and Two Guys recycling out of Louisiana. The government says Spick made seven-million dollars from those two companies alone, the vast majority in cash.
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Douglas County's Plan to End Homelessness Could Cost $100 Million
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - Douglas County's plan to "virtually eliminate" homelessness by 2028 would cost as much as $100 million. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that much of that money would go toward building and operating permanent affordable housing units. City leaders in Lawrence and county officials are holding a joint session Wednesday at city hall to consider the plan.
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TCU Women Cancel K-State Game Because of Shortage of Available Players
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 says TCU's next two women's basketball games have been canceled because the team does not have enough available players. The Horned Frogs were scheduled to play No. 7 Kansas State Wednesday night and at No. 24 Iowa State on Saturday. The conference did not disclose the reason for TCU's player shortage. Under conference rules, a school unable to field a team will forfeit the contest if no extraordinary circumstances exist. As a result, Iowa State and Kansas State each will be credited with a win in the league standings and TCU will pick up two losses.
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