Kansas House GOP leader says Republicans, not Kelly, made food tax cut | Commentary

While legislators were crafting a plan to phase out the sales tax on groceries during the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Laura Kelly was gallivanting around the state with a hatchet in hand like a knock-off Carrie Nation — all the while posing for photo ops in any grocery store that would have her.

Despite the posing, the governor didn’t lead on this issue. She wasn’t even part of the conversation. Tax policy isn’t created with photo opportunities and political stunts, it’s created by digging into spreadsheets and details.

While Kelly was on tour this year, Republicans in the Legislature were busy leading the way to phasing out the sales tax on groceries by passing HB 2106.

This wasn’t the first time though. In 2019 Republicans passed HB 2033 that also would have phased out the sales tax on groceries.

Kelly axed it with her veto pen.

Had the governor signed the phaseout bill in 2019, the sales tax on groceries would currently be zero.

Yes, it’s true. Kelly’s veto is the reason that Kansans are still paying sales tax on groceries. It doesn’t take a cynic not to be surprised the governor would wait until the year she was up for re-election to embark on her hatchet tour and finally sign food sales tax relief.

While Kelly’s 2019 veto prevented the food sales tax from going down, the policies of her Democratic Party were causing overall grocery prices to go up.

Democrat policies advanced nationally by President Joe Biden and here in Kansas by Kelly have led to levels of crushing inflation not seen in over four decades. Families have been hardest hit at the grocery store.

The most recent Consumer Price Index update shows that grocery prices are 13.5% higher than last August, the highest increase in 43 years. The increase in grocery prices have hit nearly every aisle of the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables have increased 9.3%, dairy products 16.2%, cereals 16.4%, flour 23.3%, butter and margarine 29.3%, and eggs a whopping 40% from this time last year.

Simple economics explains that flooding the market with government spending programs directly causes inflation.

The effect of their short-sightedness shows up on price labels at the grocery store.

Even worse, Biden and Kelly have not learned this lesson and continue to push for more spending programs that will only make matters worse for Kansans.

You and your neighbors need relief at the kitchen table, not hatchet wielding publicity stunts. That includes broad-based tax relief that allows Kansas families to keep more of their hard earned money.

It also includes a state government that shows fiscal restraint, not continuing to launch new programs that our state cannot afford.

Kelly had the opportunity to lead for Kansas families. She chose politics and theatrics over policy and people.

The results of the governor’s choices are displayed every time a Kansan goes to the grocery store and looks at the receipt that is 13.5% higher than it was this time last year.

It’s time to move our state from inaction to leadership. That’s why I am supporting Derek Schmidt for governor and look forward to working with him during the next legislative session to provide much needed relief for Kansas families.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 1:01 PM.