© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Living In Interesting Times In Kansas

State revenue shortfalls for Kansas this fiscal year dominated the news this past week. A couple of headlines read: “Should be worried about state revenue;” and “Sam Brownback, a politician of faith and risk, faces his biggest crisis.” Some earlier headlines: “The Dysfunction of Oz,” “Kansas’ Ruinous Tax Cuts” and “America’s worst governor.” Excuses are offered for each shortfall, and the Governor and other state officials seem unwilling to concede that the Governor’s tax plan is not bringing in needed revenues.

The Kansas legislature passed a large tax increase in June when it raised the state’s sales tax to six and one-half percent to fill a 400 million dollar budget hole. Governor Brownback favors consumption taxes over income taxes and would like to go to zero on state income taxes. Of course, consumption taxes hurt the poor the most. The Kansas economy is sluggish and not growing significantly, so relying on the sales tax for the major portion of the state’s needed revenue is risky business, which is demonstrated with the decline in Kansas sales tax receipts and the failure of the state to meet income projections for five straight months. The economic outlook for Kansas is not good. The state has a revenue shortfall of about 41 and one-half million dollars for the past five months. September’s sales tax receipts were twelve and one-half million dollars less than projected and overall tax collections were 32 million dollars under projections. If this trend continues, the state will face a major budget crisis.

State legislators should gird themselves for a grueling 2016 legislative session. Taxes will likely have to be raised again, and I would not rule out another sales tax rate increase. Indeed, we continue to live in interesting times in Kansas.

Dr. Ken Ciboski is an associate professor emeritus of political science at Wichita State University.