This is the written testimony we are delivering at the hearing on HB 2237 in Topeka on Tuesday, February 7. We are supporting the non-partisan Rise Up tax plan. You can download our testimony here.

Testimony to House Committee on Taxation
Chair, Rep. Steven Johnson
Hearing: Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 3:30 pm, Room 346-S

Position – SUPPORT HB 2237

Chairman Johnson, and Members of the Committee, 

The MainStream Coalition is proud to partner with the organizations and legislators who have worked to develop the plan put forth in HB 2237. We believe the proposals contained to be some of the best options for Kansas’ economic recovery, among the few avenues left to us by the results of current tax policy.

Kansans made their desires clear in the 2016 election: to put Kansas on the right path, we must change direction. The current budget crisis is the root of the problems in Kansas, and the seed of that crisis is the tax cut package enacted in 2012. This bill takes steps to rectify those mistakes. We must raise revenue. There is no more waste to trim. Every cut now harms a Kansas family. One-time fixes merely push the problem on to the next generation of legislators, while continuing to harm Kansas.

Some of the policies outlined in this bill may be difficult politically, but Kansans understand that hard choices are the result of the path we have been on. The MainStream Coalition, and our members and supporters, recognize that there is no easy fix, and are looking to support courageous lawmakers who are ready to fix the problem once and for all.

We urge the committee to support HB 2237 and deliver it to the House floor  for further debate. Kansans deserve to see these proposals debated in full.

Thank you,

Brandi Fisher
Executive Director, MainStream Coalition