Kansas City Today

A tax rate as flat as Kansas

By Brian Ellison,

Published February 27, 2023 at 4:00 AM CST

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The Kansas Senate approved a sweeping proposal that would eliminate tax brackets and create one flat income tax rate of 4.75%. But could the plan actually mean a tax increase for lower income Kansans?

A flat income tax championed by Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson passed in the Senate last week, 22-17. Supporters say the state can afford it, but opponents say it could cause a financial disaster — and mostly benefit the richest of Kansans.

Host Brain Ellison talked with Sherman Smith of the Kansas Reflector to learn what this will mean for Kansans, and how likely it is to become law.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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Brian Ellison

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.

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Paris Rex Norvell

Paris Norvell is a freelance podcast producer for KCUR Studios,

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Byron J. Love

As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.

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