The major candidates for Kansas governor met for the first time on a debate stage Wednesday. They sparred over the state’s budget and whether to return to tax cuts enacted when Sam Brownback was governor.
Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach said the state needs to again look at smaller government.
“So as governor, I’m going to be promising to cut taxes and spending, which was the missing ingredient of the Brownback tax cuts of 2012, and we will reduce our tax rate in Kansas,” Kobach said.
Democratic state Senator Laura Kelly said Kansas should hold off before making new tax cuts and look at investing in services.
“We’ve had to cut all of those things because of the Brownback tax experiment that really took our state down a road of devastation, whether you’re looking at our roads, our health care or our economy,” Kelly said.
Independent Greg Orman said the state needs a comprehensive economic development strategy to attract people and business to Kansas.
The full debate is available from KCPT.
Stephen Koranda has more: