This is testimony Mainstream is providing in opposition to HB 2005, providing tax benefits to upper income Kansans, at the hearing on January 29, 2020. Under the guise of helping middle and lower income Kansans, this would take $50 million of tax revenue away from the state and return it to Kansans who can and do itemize on their tax returns.
House Taxation Committee
Chair, Rep. Steven Johnson
Hearing: January 29, 2020, 3:30 pm, 112-N
Position – OPPOSE HB 2005
Chair Johnson, and Members of the Committee,
The Mainstream Coalition opposes HB 2005 as a return to the irresponsible tax policies of the past, at a time when the state has still not recovered from those same policies.
The Mainstream Coalition was founded 27 years ago by a sitting Republican State Representative, a sitting Democratic State Representative, and two active members of the clergy, among others. Our Board and membership are bipartisan, and our organization is nonpartisan. Our membership is strongest in Northeast Kansas, but we have members across the state. The concerns we bring are shared by these Kansans, from a range of political identities.
We affirm that, in order to provide services to the people, government must be funded by the people it serves. Revenue and spending policies must treat every Kansan equitably, must be sustainable, and must adequately support government’s duties, be it at the state, county, or municipal level.
The notion that this bill benefits the individual Kansans who need it most is disingenuous at best. Itemization is shown to benefit mostly those at higher income levels who can and do itemize. In fact, the bill would reduce State revenues by $50 million, preventing needed funds from going to the parts of state government that do in fact benefit the lower and middle class: education, infrastructure, and health care, among others. In addition, this bill would cost the state at least $600,000 to implement, according to the Fiscal Note. At a time when Kansas is still unable to meet all of its responsibilities, this is irresponsible.
We ask the committee to reject HB 2005, and work on measures that improve the lives of all Kansans, not just high wealth individuals.
Sincerely,
Michael Poppa
Executive Director, Mainstream Coalition
