Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly prevails in tax cut showdown as veto override fails by one vote

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly prevailed on Monday in a showdown with the Legislature over tax cuts, as supporters failed by a single vote to enact a vetoed plan she warned was too expensive.

The plan’s failure threw into doubt the chances for tax cuts this year. The Legislature was expected to end its annual session later this week, but Kelly has promised to call lawmakers into special session if they don’t approve tax relief she is willing to sign.

The Senate voted 26-14 on the override – one vote short of the 27 needed. The vote came after the House easily passed the override 104-15 on Friday.

Support for the measure cut across partisan lines, with many Democrats in the House joining with Republicans to advance the override. But the measure ran into trouble in the Senate, with Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican who previously supported the plan, voting against overturning the veto.

“I’m just telling the people of Kansas, this isn’t over. Don’t let anyone tell you that if this fails, that’s it over. It’s not over,” Pyle said.

Republican leaders were uncertain what the next steps on taxes would be after the vote. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said no time was left to pull together a bill this week because lawmakers plan to adjourn Tuesday.

“Really, at this point, nothing’s off the table,” Masterson said. “I’m incredibly disappointed that, you know, you can have one person make a decision like that.”

The plan would have set the top state income tax bracket at 5.55% and 5.15% for the bottom bracket, with $23,000 taxable annual income serving as the dividing line between the two rates. For married couples, that dividing line would be $46,000.

The personal exemption allowance amount would have increased so that each dependent would qualify for an additional $2,320 while raising the allowance from $2,250 for all taxpayers to $18,320 for married couples and $9,160 for all other taxpayers.

The measure would have also eliminated taxes on Social Security income, lowered the statewide mill levy for schools from 20 mills to 19.5 mills, and accelerated the elimination of the state sales tax on food to July 1, six months ahead of current law.

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