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GOP Lawmakers In Kansas Pushing Ahead With Tax Relief Plan

Stephen Koranda
/
Kansas Public Radio/File photo

Republican legislators in Kansas expect to push ahead this week with an income tax relief proposal.

The move would defy Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's call for lawmakers to avoid adjusting state tax laws this year.

A Senate committee is set to open hearings Tuesday on a bill aimed at preventing individuals and corporations from paying more to Kansas because of changes in federal income tax laws at the end of 2017. The panel could vote Thursday.

Top Republicans in the GOP-dominated Legislature have made tax relief a priority and argue Kansas is receiving an unanticipated revenue "windfall."

Kelly and other Democrats argue the state still doesn't know how big the windfall might be. Kelly's top priorities are boosting spending on public schools and expanding Medicaid health coverage for the needy.

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