Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly wants to use some of the state’s budget surplus on tax rebates for residents.
According to a news release from the governor’s office Tuesday, Kelly is proposing a tax rebate of $450 for individuals and $900 for married taxpayers filing jointly.
“In my first term, I made a commitment to getting our state back on track. I’m proud of how far we have come, but we can’t risk turning back now,” Kelly said. “I’m calling on legislators to put this one-time surplus back in the hands of taxpayers — without risking our ability to continue fully funding schools and investing in roads, bridges, and essential services.”
Kelly talked about the proposal earlier this week during a stop at Elmont Elementary School in Topeka. She also discussed her veto of a bill passed by the legislature that included a 5.15 percent flat income tax – or a single tax rate applied to all taxpayers.
“The reason I’m announcing this veto here at Elmont Elementary School is because there is no doubt: public schools would be the first to take a hit should this bill become law,” Kelly said. “I’ve said it time and again—public schools are the very foundation of our state. Fully funding our schools has proven to be the smartest, best return on investment we can make in the future of our state.
“Under the Brownback administration, our public schools were shortchanged time and time again. The Brownback ‘tax experiment”’ was a failed experiment. Our schools, our students, our teachers, our families, and every other everyday Kansan paid the price. I ran for governor to get Kansas back on track, balance the budget, and fix our broken education system. And we have, with both parties working together to pass commonsense, financially responsible budgets and tax relief policies.
“After years of deficits and budget mismanagement, we’ve now balanced the budget and fully funded our schools for four straight years. We also built up the largest budget surplus Kansas has ever seen, with more than $1.6 billion in our Rainy Day fund.”
In 2022, states including Florida, Indiana, and Idaho offered tax rebates, Kelly’s office said.
