TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Latest on the Kansas Legislature’s debate over raising taxes to fix the state budget and provide extra funds to public schools (all times local):
8:35 p.m.
The Kansas House has rejected a proposal that would have raised income taxes to fix the state budget and provide additional funds for public schools.
The vote Monday night was 68-53 against a bill raising $1.2 billion over two years. House and Senate negotiators will have to draft a new plan.
The measure would have raised income tax rates and eliminated an exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners.
The plan would have undone most of the past income tax cuts championed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. But rates would have remained lower than they were before the tax-cutting began in 2012.
Kansas faces projected budget shortfalls totaling $887 million through June 2019 and the state Supreme Court ruled in March that the state’s education funding is inadequate.
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4:20 p.m.
Kansas legislators have drafted a new proposal for raising income taxes to fix the state budget and provide additional funds for public schools.
House and Senate negotiators agreed Monday on a measure that would raise $1.2 billion over two years. The House planned to debate it Monday evening.
The measure would raise income tax rates and eliminate an exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners.
The plan would undo most of the past income tax cuts championed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. But rates would remain lower than they were before the tax-cutting started in 2012.
Kansas faces projected budget shortfalls totaling $887 million through June 2019 and the state Supreme Court ruled in March that the state’s education funding is inadequate.
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2 p.m.
Conservative Republican legislators say Kansas doesn’t need to increase taxes this year to fix its budget if lawmakers control spending.
Republican Sen. Ty Masterson of Andover outlined a plan Monday for getting the state through June 2018 without a tax increase. He and fellow conservatives had a Statehouse news conference.
Spending would be kept mostly at current levels, and the state would divert money from highway projects.
Masterson acknowledged that the plan would not provide extra dollars for public schools to comply with a state Supreme Court ruling March that said education funding is inadequate. But he said lawmakers could consider that issue separately.
The plan would leave the state with a projected shortfall in June 2019, but Masterson said he believes the state’s revenue estimates could be too pessimistic.
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11:08 a.m.
Kansas legislators plan to resume negotiations over raising income taxes to fix the state budget and provide additional funds for public schools.
House and Senate negotiators were meeting Monday. Both chambers scheduled afternoon sessions to allow them to take up any plan emerging from the talks.
Kansas faces projected budget shortfalls totaling $887 million through June 2019, and the state Supreme Court ruled in March that the state’s funding for its public schools is inadequate.
Lawmakers have been looking at rolling back past income tax cuts enacted at Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s urging to raise $1 billion or more over two years.
They’ve also discussed proposals to boost other taxes.
Legislators were supposed to end their annual session Wednesday on its 100th day but were likely to work longer.
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