Kansas House shaping its own tax plan, GOP leaders say

Republican leaders say that the Kansas House will craft its own tax plan after postponing debate on a bill already passed by the Senate.

The Senate’s tax plan fills the state’s $400 million budget hole, but also includes several controversial provisions that have turned off some House members.

Rep. Gene Sullentrop, R-Wichita, the vice chair of the House Tax Committee, and House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey, R-Louisburg, said that Republican House members will unveil an alternative plan Wednesday in an effort to establish a clear House position.

Suellentrop said that the House plan would have some commonalities with the Senate plan, such as a hike to sales tax and the elimination of most itemized income tax deductions.

The House had been expected to vote on HB 2109, the plan passed by the Senate, on Monday, but canceled the vote. Negotiators from the House and Senate were supposed to meet Tuesday morning. The meeting was postponed multiple times and eventually called off.

But Suellentrop said that it had been a productive day as House members worked on their own plan in private. He said that House members would continue meeting late into the night on Tuesday before Republicans gathered as a whole to discuss the plan Wednesday morning.

Vickrey said that House leaders are working on building consensus.

“We can’t push this too fast. … We need everyone to be pulling this wagon together,” he said.

The Senate plan contains policies unrelated to filling the state’s budget hole, which have drawn scrutiny. It would expand a program that puts public dollars towards private school scholarships and would also restrict local governments from taking in more property tax revenue without a public vote.

These provisions, which helped attract votes in the Senate, have faced resistance in the House.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 7:23 PM with the headline "Kansas House shaping its own tax plan, GOP leaders say."