TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An email from a Kansas Department of Revenue official says the department hasn't started accepting joint tax returns from same-sex couples, despite earlier comments from the attorney general's office. The Wichita Eagle reports that Richard Cram, policy director for the Revenue Department, said in an email the department's waiting for instructions from Governor Sam Brownback's office before accepting joint tax returns from same sex couples. Cram said he's hoping for instructions from the governor's office early this week. Two assistant attorneys general argued in a legal brief last week that a federal lawsuit against the state should be dismissed because state agencies are recognizing same-sex marriages. Jeannine Koranda, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Revenue, would not clarify whether joint tax returns are currently being accepted in Kansas.
The AP is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.