Gov. Kelly vetoes massive tax reform bill pushed through by GOP

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed Friday a bill granting tax breaks to business sought for years by corporate lobbyists, implementing a sales tax on out-of-state online transactions proposed by the governor and increasing the standard income tax deduction for filers.

Kelly, a Democrat, said the Republican-led Legislature continued to press for income tax changes that imposed irresponsible reductions on state revenue in the manner done in 2012 and 2013 by then-Gov. Sam Brownback.

“I have vetoed Senate Bill 50,” she said. “For very obvious reasons. I have lived through the Brownback tax experiment. I saw what irresponsible fiscal policy did to our state. It devastated our agencies. It undermined our social safety net. It required us to remove all funding for infrastructure programs. And, then, most obviously really underfunded our schools. I can’t let that happen again.”

This was the third time that Kelly had vetoed some provisions of tax reform sought by Republicans in the Legislature and lobbyists serving interests of business. This could be the first of a series of vetoes from Kelly as the governor works through the flurry of bills adopted before the Legislature adjourned for a three-week break.

Read more: https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/16/gov-kelly-vetoes-massive-tax-reform-bill-pushed-through-by-gop/