A tax proposal failed Thursday night in the Kansas House by a huge margin. Lawmakers still need to finish work on a budget and a tax plan that covers a shortfall in the budget.
The first tax plan failed on a 3-108 vote.
Some Kansas lawmakers voted against the bill because it didn’t reinstate enough business income taxes or because it canceled future personal income tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Tom Sawyer said the bill raised the sales tax too high.
“Sales taxes are regressive. They affect working families, seniors citizens a lot worse than other taxes,” said Sawyer.
Republican Steve Huebert was one of the few lawmakers supporting the bill. He said no tax bill would be perfect.
“We have a job to do. Day 105. It is time to finish up, it is time to get done, it is time to go home,” he said.
House leaders weren’t surprised to see the plan fail. They said it helped them determine what tax proposals might be able to pass the chamber.
The plan relied on sales taxes and cigarette taxes to help fill the budget hole. It also would have canceled some future income tax cuts and reduced tax deductions.
Lawmakers have two major pieces of work left to do: They have to pass a state budget and they have to pass a tax plan that funds the budget.
“We will keep running these changes until we find where our members are at and how to pay the state’s bills,” says Republican Jene Vickrey, House majority leader.
The clock is ticking for lawmakers. State employee furloughs will begin Sunday if they haven’t finished work on a Kansas budget.
