Kansas Senate shoots down Democratic income-tax plan

The Kansas Senate shot down a Democratic plan to raise income taxes and end an income-tax exemption on businesses Thursday.

But senators will reconvene Friday morning to debate a separate bill raising income taxes and ending the exemption. That bill easily cleared the Kansas House on Thursday morning.

Senators voted 30-10 against bringing SB 188 to final action.

The Senate Democratic proposal would have raised taxes on married couples making more than $70,000 filing jointly from 4.6 percent to 6.45 percent. It also would have ended the income tax exemption for non-wage income for pass-through entities.

Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, criticized the income-tax cuts championed by Gov. Sam Brownback and the state Legislature in 2012.

“This whole deal has been a scam,” Holland said. “It’s been a disaster for our state. It’s time to throw off the shackles.”

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, re-introduced a plan to cut spending that was abandoned last week by Senate Republican leaders because of growing opposition over cuts to K-12 education. Not a single senator voiced support for that bill.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Kansas Senate shoots down Democratic income-tax plan."