Legislature overrides Brownback’s veto of bill that rolls back his 2012 tax cuts

Kansas City Star ^ | 6/7/17 | Hunter Woodall

[DoodleDawg]

The Republican dominated Kansas Legislature that has soured on Gov. Sam Brownback’s vision for the state voted late Tuesday to roll back the governor’s signature tax cuts.

Lawmakers voted to override Brownback’s veto of a tax plan estimated to bring the state more than $1.2 billion over a two-year span.

The Senate vote was 27 to 13, and the House followed by agreeing 88 to 31 to supersede the Republican governor’s wishes on the tax plan and force the changes into law.

Lawmakers marshaled together a coalition of moderate Republicans, conservatives and Democrats to overcome the governor’s opposition to seeing his landmark tax cuts, which have in large part come to define his tenure in Topeka, fundamentally come to an end.

Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican, said that he respects the governor and other lawmakers.

“Respect to me does not mean blind agreement,” Longbine said.

A major vote in the House came from the leading Republican in the chamber.

[DoodleDawg]

And Brownback's experiment ends with a whimper, not a bang.

[KC_Lion]

Lawmakers voted to override Brownback’s veto of a tax plan estimated to bring the state more than $1.2 billion over a two-year span.

Which they will promptly waste, thus requiring the state to find more sources of "revenue".

[yldstrk]

I don’t know what went wrong...I don’t pay attention to this because I can’t make heads or tails out of Kansas politics.

[KC_Lion]

The Kansas Government is addicted to spending like everyone else and couldn't find a way to "pay for" the tax cuts.

Instead of, you know, spending less and doing without.

"Think of the Schools!"

Which as a product of the KCK school system, circa 2006, I know they don't deserve any more money.

[mewzilla]

Ok, when we escape from New York State, we ate NOT moving to Kansas. Sigh. There goes another one.

[FES0844]

Freepers should buy us an island, far, far away!

[Mozilla]

I’m with you. My state seems stupidly confused. I’m not mad at Brownback. It’s the fault of the idiots in Topeka’s capitol. They are stuck on stupid.

[Dan in Wichita]

Personally, Brownback's tax cuts helped me immensely over the last few years. What a relief it was to have someone in charge who cared about the taxpayers.

Now it is time to brace for what amounts to a massive tax increase. What really upsets me that at no time during this debate was any consideration given to reducing fraud and waste in the state government. The instinctive reaction of the politicians was simply to stick it to the taxpayer once again. Damn them all.

[yldstrk]

As we say in the law business, “There is no law West of the Kaw.”

[mewzilla]

FReeper Island! Da plane, da plane! Works for me!

[mewzilla]

Just took a very quick look at your state’s budget. It ain’t waste and fraud, though I’m sure they’re bad. KS has 3 problems: Education spending, Medicaid, and KPERS. You guys are screwed.

[lacrew]

The legislature no longer has control over how a big chunk of the money is spent. The state supreme court keeps rejecting budgets and mandating more education spending. Hard to make a tax cut work if dictators in robes keep increasing spending.

[Vlad The Inhaler]

Are republicans trying to fight the democrats by becoming democrats?

[yldstrk]

Yes, the court needs to let the legislature do its thing

[DoodleDawg]

Are republicans trying to fight the democrats by becoming democrats?

Probably looking to the 2018 elections and trying to hang the big tax increase on the Democrats. Whether that will be offset by the memory of all the budget shortfalls and required cuts over the last six years remains to be seen.

[yldstrk]

you are so right

[DoodleDawg]

Personally, Brownback's tax cuts helped me immensely over the last few years. What a relief it was to have someone in charge who cared about the taxpayers.

Just out of curiosity how many people did the tax cuts enable you to hire over the past few years, and what happens to them with the tax increases? Will you be able to keep them?

[Dan in Wichita]

What it means is me and other taxpayers won’t be spending as much money at retail stores and some of the retail stores will have to lay off employees. I’m surprised I had to explain this to you.

[DoodleDawg]

What it means is me and other taxpayers won’t be spending as much money at retail stores and some of the retail stores will have to lay off employees. I’m surprised I had to explain this to you.

Brownback's stated purpose of the tax cuts was to allow small businesses and LLCs the funds to expand and hire more. Based on your post I had assumed you fell into that category. I guess not.

Sorry I had to explain that to you.

[Dan in Wichita]

Just took a very quick look at your state’s budget.

You're as bad as the politicians who just raised my taxes. They take quick looks too and base their decisions on that. Not enough of them want to get into the depths of the state budget and find the sacred cows that should be led to slaughter. If someone would at least **try** to reduce fraud and waste, this tax increase would probably not be necessary.