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Senate Committee Approves Gov. Brownback's Tax Plan

The Kansas Senate Assessment and Taxation committee endorsed most of Gov.  Sam Brownback's tax plan Tuesday.  The committee spent fewer than 10 minutes discussing the governor's proposals before approving the bill.  The legislation could move to the full senate for debate next week.

Gov. Brownback wants to phase out personal income taxes in Kansas over the next four years. The committee kept the governor's call to balance the tax cuts by making a temporary sales tax hike permanent. However, they cut his proposal to eliminate an income tax deduction for property taxes on homes.

Legislators and groups watching the debate over Brownback's plan acknowledged that work on tax legislation is just beginning. The final version is likely to emerge from negotiations this spring between the House and Senate after each approves its own measure.

State Democrats have harshly criticized Brownback's plan for concentrating on raising new revenues in its first three years and delaying most of the benefits from cuts in individual income tax rates until years four and five.