Kansas lawmakers didn’t take on anything too significant their first day back from spring break. They’re going to be spending the rest of the wrap-up session looking for ways to fill a deficit of more than $400 million. As KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports, tax committees are scheduled to start work Thursday.
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The chairman of the Kansas House Tax Committee, Republican Marvin Kleeb, says they’re going to start first by digging into the budget numbers. Then next week, they’ll start looking at tax proposals.
“Right now, there are a number of discussions going on regarding what taxes might be acceptable to a number of people,” says Kleeb.
Kleeb says they’ll likely consider options including sales, alcohol and tobacco taxes. He says they might also consider amending the 2012 tax cut that allows around 300,000 Kansas business owners to pay zero state income tax.
“So we’ll take a look at all of those, and which ones actually come out of committee in the end I’m not really sure. I’m going to provide a fair process for all of that input,” says Kleeb.
If lawmakers look at amending the business income tax cut, that would put them at odds with Governor Sam Browback, who says he wants to keep that tax change because he says it helps grow the economy.
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Kansas lawmakers took on little official work during their first day back from their spring break. Legislators will spend the rest of the wrap-up session looking for ways to fill a deficit of more than $400 million. Tax committees will begin looking at the issue Thursday. House Tax Committee Chairman Marvin Kleeb says they’ll start by reviewing new revenue projections and a spending plan put together by budget writers.
“So that next week when we come into the committee we have a good feel for all the work the Appropriations Committee has done, what has happened as well as what hole may need to be filled,” says Kleeb.
Kleeb says they’ll start considering revenue proposals next week. He expects the committee to look at sales taxes as well as alcohol and tobacco taxes. He says they might also consider amending the 2012 tax cut that allowed some 300,000 Kansas businesses to avoid paying state income taxes.