With a $3 billion budget surplus, Kansans and their representatives in government seem eager to implement tax reform.
Republicans control a supermajority in the Kansas Legislature, but on February 20, they were unable to garner enough support to overturn Gov. Laura Kelly’s previous veto of a bill that would have established a 5.25 percent flat income tax rate.
However, Sherman Smith, the chief editor of Kansas Reflector, stated that this does not imply that tax reform will not be achievable this session.
“Nothing ever truly dies. All options remain open,” he stated, adding that Republicans may now think about making trade concessions in order to enact a flat tax.
“Kelly has made it very clear that she wants Republicans to come to the table,” said Katie Bernard, a political and government writer for the Kansas City Star. “I think it was an interview on a different radio station, she said something to the tune of ‘I will negotiate on almost any tax policy aside from the flat tax.'”
Smith pointed out that a number of proposals, such as lowering property taxes, raising the standard deduction, and exempting Social Security, had bipartisan support in the Legislature.
“So I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure to do something for tax relief,” Smith stated. “We just may not know until the final 72 hours what that looks like.”
Along with discussing other legislative issues, Smith and Bernard also talked with Up to Date about Medicaid expansion, abortion rights, and school finance.