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

Projected Budget Shortfalls Has Republican Lawmakers Mulling Over Kansas' Tax Policy

Projected budget shortfalls in Kansas have some Republican legislators weighing proposals to backtrack on tax-cutting policies championed by Governor Sam Brownback.

However, House Appropriations Committee chairman and Wichita Republican Gene Suellentrop said on Tuesday that such measures should be a last resort.

Governor Brownback and the legislature must close shortfalls in the current and next state budgets totaling more than $714 million dollars, after lawmakers open their annual session in January.

Legislators aggressively cut personal income taxes at Brownback's urging in 2012 and 2013 to stimulate the economy.

Overland Park Republican Sen. Jim Denning said he wants to "smooth out" tax cuts lawmakers already have promised for the future.

He also proposed taking away part of an exemption from personal income taxes granted to the owners of 191,000 businesses.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.