April 5, 2024
Tax Relief was passed in the 11th hour of regular session. Conference Committee Report (CCR) 2036 will:
- eliminate state income tax on Social Security
- exempt $100,000 of the valuation for homeowners of the 20 mill for K-12
- lower the 20 mill for K-12 to 19.5 for all property owners
- eliminate state sales tax on non-prepared groceries July 1, 2024 instead of Jan 1, 2025
- provide income tax cuts for all Kansas taxpayers by:
- a two tier income tax bracket changing 5.7 to 5.55, 5.25 to 5.15, and 3.1 is eliminated
- personal exemptions are currently at $2,250 and will increase to $9,160 for a single filer; $18,320 married; and $2,320 for each dependent
- standard deduction increases 3%; single $3,500 to $3,605; married $8,000 to $8,240
- eliminate Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund and the County & City Revenue Sharing Fund
You may remember the Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 539 and the House passed their tax package in House Substitute (H Sub) for SB 300. Leadership decided not to act on the other chambers proposed tax cuts. Instead, they put together a plan with the Governor. It was in the first version of CCR 2036, which passed the Senate 38 to 1, but was overwhelming rejected by the House. Later the next day, I requested information for a tax plan and, coincidentally, the House Tax Chairman had requested information for the same plan. It made sense because each of us used 539 and 300 as a basis to create the tax plan listed above. It passed the Senate 24 to 9 on a bipartisan vote. Seven senators were absent. Interestingly, 8 Democrats and 1 Republican in the Senate voted No. The House passed it 119 to 0. It is known the Governor doesn’t favor the legislation, but she will be going against all the House members in her party if she vetoes it.
The Budget has even more pork after conference committee negotiations of CCR 28. The Senate had voted to block the 90% pay raise for legislators, but the conference committee put it back. They put in spending for theaters, sports programs, and many other special interest items. What they didn’t concentrate on was infrastructure and security, which is what government should be doing. I did not support this runaway spending. It passed the Senate 26 to 12 and is on its way to the Governor’s desk.
K-12 Budget was in CCR 387. It didn’t pass the House until late in session and the Senate never got a chance to hear or work the legislation. It was an up or down vote, no amendments allowed. The Senate voted 12 to 26. A motion was made to send it back to committee on Thursday. The conference committee was able to meet Friday and negotiate a new K-12 budget. We will vote on the new version of the CCR when we return for veto session. A majority of us decided that over $6 billion spending, over $4 billion from State General Funds (SGF), and getting less than 30 minutes to look at the legislation was reason not to support it.
Lies are rampant in the Capitol. Tom Petty said, “I won’t back down”. “Well I know what’s right; I got just one life; In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around; But I’ll stand my ground; And I won’t back down.”
We cannot back down and must stand for the truth. For example, this week there was a reporter who said that I used foul language. Two witnesses who were sitting next to me and we all said that the reporter was wrong, yet the reporter and his editor refused to write a retraction. A few local papers picked up the “fake news”. Another example is a Representative and others who continues to spew false information that I am blocking legislation for veterans. It’s not even close to the truth and I have worked diligently to pass tax relief for disabled veterans and others. There are more examples of misleading narratives and fake news. I will “not back down” and I will continue to stand for the truth, as should everyone because it is self-defeating not to stand for the truth.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
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