Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Earlier this summer, lawmakers passed and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law a tax cut package that slashes roughly $2.4 billion in property and income taxes over the next three years. The law reduces state income tax brackets from three tiers to two and eliminates the state tax on Social Security benefits, among other things. Do you think the most recent tax cut bill provides enough relief for Kansans? Why or why not? If elected, would you seek more tax cuts and, if so, what would that look like?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on the issue:
District 14
Dennis Miller (Democratic, incumbent)
The bi-partisan effort in the special session called by Governor Kelly provided relief for everyone in the tax cut package.
I was particularly supportive of eliminating the tax on social security. This component of the tax cut package was widely supported across the aisle. My opponent in this election was still advocating in her literature for a social security tax cut, long after the governor had signed the bill to do so.
The two tier state income tax system was a compromise. A flat tax or one tier system is flat out unfair. We didn’t pass a flat tax but the difference in rate “elevation” between the lower income tier and higher incomes is a shallow hill indeed.
Many of the voters I have canvassed this cycle and I agree that property taxes continue to be too high. The tricky part of trying to adjust levels of property tax is that it really involves city and county jurisdictions as well as the state legislature. Cities and counties depend on property tax revenues to support schools and other basic services. I believe we will need to seek a creative approach in the next session that includes returning some of the state revenue to counties and cities on condition that they lower their property tax rates.
We must carefully craft any further tax relief to make sure we have sufficient rainy day funds that will cover essential services in case of a recession.
Charlotte Esau (Republican)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
