The Kansas House of Representatives passed a tax package in the early hours of Friday morning. The Senate met Friday morning and went into a recess until Friday afternoon, when it could vote on the bill.
“There is only one word to describe the tax bill that passed the House,” House Democratic Leader Tom Burroughs, D-33rd Dist., said, “depressing.”
“Not only is this the largest tax increase in Kansas history, it is also unfair because it raises the tax burden on poor, middle class, and working families. Kansans will now pay more for everyday essentials like groceries as a result of the increased sales tax rate, while simultaneously paying more in income taxes due to the elimination of certain itemized deductions. We are literally increasing the cost of living in Kansas on those who can afford it the least,” Burroughs said.
Burroughs outlined how the bill hurts Kansas citizens:
“This bill makes it even harder to be a student in Kansas by reducing money that goes into public classrooms.
“This bill makes it even harder to be a middle class family in Kansas by increasing the sales tax on all purchases.
“This bill makes it even harder to be a senior in Kansas by eliminating and reducing itemized deductions.
“This bill makes it even harder to be poor in Kansas by raising 80 percent of the revenue in a regressive manner.”
And, Burroughs criticized the bill for failing to address the root of the problem:
“This bill does not reverse Brownback’s failed experiment.
“This bill does not end the governor’s “march to zero” and is not sustainable.”
“This bill does not require businesses to pay income taxes.
“This bill does not put Kansas on a sustainable path to financial solvency.”
“It’s appalling Republicans voted for a tax plan that burdens three million individual Kansans with higher taxes, just so 330,000 businesses can continue to pay nothing,” Burroughs said. “It is well past time for them to admit: Brownback’s tax plan has failed.”