Republican legislators have narrowly failed again to enact a broad package of tax cuts over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.
A vote Monday in the state Senate against overriding Kelly’s veto of tax cuts worth $1.5 billion over the next three years made it likely that lawmakers would end their second annual session in a row without major reductions. The Senate vote was 26-14, but that was one vote short of the necessary two-thirds majority.
Kelly suggested the tax plan’s mix of income, sales and property tax cuts would lead to future budget problems for the state.
Republican leaders strongly disagreed, and many House Democrats sided with them.
Locally, Sen. Usha Reddi (D-Manhattan) voted to uphold Kelly’s veto. Sen. Dennis Pyle (R-Hiawatha), was the deciding vote, voting against an override, despite initially supporting the package. Sen. Kristen O’Shea (R-Topeka) and Sen. Jeff Longbine (R-Emporia) both supported the override.
