Tax Policy Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

Gov. Kelly’s 2020 budget: Five things you should know 0
- Tax & Spending
- January 20, 2020
Governor Kelly had an opportunity to exhibit fiscal restraint when presenting her budget last week. With state tax revenues coming in higher than expected – partly because of recent record tax hikes – the Kelly Administration missed a chance to build a structurally-balanced budget. Instead, this budget breaks a new record in spending for the
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Kansas economy ranks 49th as government grows 0
- Tax & Spending
- November 26, 2019
Within the last year, Kansas has set a record budget, financed it with record tax hikes, and vowed to increase spending to even higher levels. Some think such a policy encourages economic success. However, the latest economic snapshots reveal the opposite; that ballooning government is crowding out private sector growth. The adjacent table summarizes the Bureau
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Latest Medicaid expansion plan riddled with red flags & a “scam.”0
- Tax & Spending
- October 28, 2019
The latest Medicaid expansion plan has too many red flags without even getting to the program itself. Like other states, Kansas is unlikely to have the federal government approve the partial expansion. Yet if approved, it risks the solvency of national Medicaid, encourages tobacco smuggling and worsens the state budget. Policymakers should heed these signs and
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Income inequality is about choice not “fairness”0
- Tax & Spending
- October 16, 2019
Everyone from democratic presidential candidates to President Trump has some opinion on the concept of income inequality. In Kansas, Governor Kelly even commissioned a tax policy group with the stated intentions to combat inequality by distributing income in ways perceived more “fair”. However, data from the U.S. Census Bureau strongly suggests differences in lifestyle choices
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Kansas deficit-spends into a billion dollar hole 0
- Tax & Spending
- October 10, 2019
The first Kansas legislative session has passed. To finance a record-setting budget, Governor Kelly has consented to both an income tax and sales tax increase. However, the latest information from the Kansas Division of the Budget says it’s not enough. The government is in a hole; for every dollar Kansas deficit spends, another dollar families
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Kansas Tax Increase Unfairly Burdens The Poor 0
- Tax & Spending
- August 12, 2019
The fall in consumer spending has local officials puzzled; there’s a reason why Kansans are buying fewer things at the register. Not surprisingly, counties with declines in consumer shopping also have hiked property taxes. Couple that with the state income tax increase, and the collective tax burden on Kansas families (especially low-income) has increased by
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