The Kansas Legislature sent Gov. Laura Kelly a bill bundling elements from more than a dozen bills, including a property tax exemption for fitness, restaurant and child care businesses able to demonstrate they were in direct competition with operations of state or local government. The Senate approved the package Thursday on a vote of 26-13 despite bipartisan complaints Senate Bill 8 was decorated like a holiday tree with special-interest tax policy. The deal previously passed by the House 76-43 contained 18 distinct policy changes. It now goes to Gov. Laura Kelly, and could be added to the Democratic governor’s list of vetoed bills. … Sen. Caryn Tyson, the Parker Republican and the Senate’s top negotiator on tax policy, said the bill was designed to restrain state, city, county, township, university, school district and community college investment in facilities or services that could be provided by private businesses. She said child care, restaurant and fitness businesses shouldn’t pay taxes to government entities using that money to establish functions the free market could handle.
Source: The Lawrence Times
