Kansas Gov. vetoes GOP tax cut bill, including breaks for anti-abortion donors
TOPEKA (KSNT)- Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 8 on Friday, which included several tax cut provisions, related to property, sales, and income taxes.
Governor Kelly released the following veto message, regarding her veto of Senate Bill 8:
“After years of fiscal mismanagement and budget deficits, I am proud that we have balanced the budget four years in a row. As a result, we have seen record economic growth and have delivered over $1 billion in tax cuts for working families, property owners, veterans, farmers, and ranchers. Instead of sticking with this fiscally responsible and bipartisan path, this bill prioritizes tax breaks for big businesses over everyday Kansans and would harm the budgets of local governments and schools."
“While Senate Bill 8 includes tax cuts and personal property tax reforms that I support, by bundling 12 bills together the legislature has made it impossible to sort out the bad from the good."
“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 8.”
Gov. Laura Kelly, D-Kansas
One of the provisions included in Senate Bill 8 would've given tax credits to donors for pregnancy centers dedicated to reducing abortion.
The bill creates the Pregnancy Resource Act, which provides for a tax credit for contributions to nonprofit pregnancy centers or residential maternity centers exempt from federal income tax, under certain conditions. One of those conditions includes offering services free of charge to clients for the express purpose of providing assistance to women in carrying pregnancies to term, preventing abortion, and promoting healthy childbirth.
Republican leaders responded to the Governor's veto of Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 2285, which would have prevented state health officials from requiring COVID-19 vaccines to attend childcare or school.
"Today's vetoes are not surprising and further evidence that the Kelly/Toland Administration is now governing from the radical left and marching in tandem with Joe Biden. In one veto, she said no to protecting the health freedom of Kansans and curtailing the powers of unelected bureaucrats. In the other veto, she rejected a bill that reduced property taxes for disabled veterans, aided Kansans with disabilities to gain employment, increased a tax credit to encourage adoption, and leveled the playing field for businesses who are forced to compete against government-created entities providing the same service. While the left is cheering today’s vetoes and the hold they have on this governor, it is certainly bad news for the vast majority of Kansans who expected her to keep her word to meet us in the middle."
Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Kansas Senate President
To read the full conference committee report for Senate Bill 8, click here.