Kansas will see major tax cuts but the relief for home owners isn’t seen as enough

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have approved major tax cuts and ended a political stalemate with Gov. Laura Kelly. Yet some of them sounded frustrated as they were doing it.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bill Tuesday to cut income and property taxes by a total of $1.23 billion over the next three years. The measure contains the exact terms of a compromise reached by the Democratic governor and the GOP leaders of the House and Senate, and Kelly promised to sign it.

But many lawmakers, particularly Republicans, said they’d wanted more for taxpayers, and legislators in both parties view its property tax relief as meager. The bill decreases what homeowners will pay to the state to help finance public schools, but the 15.6% cut in that tax for the owner of a $250,000 amounts to $76 a year and is lower than previous plans lawmakers considered this year.

The bill cleared the Legislature with huge bipartisan majorities during a one-day special session called by Kelly after she vetoed three previous tax-cutting plans and lawmakers ended their regular annual session May 1. The GOP leaders who negotiated with her office warned colleagues that they risked another veto if they made any changes — and they didn’t. They’ve worried that failing to cut taxes will anger voters in this year’s elections.

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