State Food Sales Tax Elimination

                                                 State Food Sales Tax

I am the only one in this race who supports a total elimination of the state food sales tax when the Legislature convenes in January, 2023.

In a recent mailer from Ron Estes, the following information is cited:

The cost of:  chicken up 17.6%

                        fruits and veggies up 9.3%

                        coffee up 20.3%

                        butter up 26.4%

Those who find it hardest to make ends meet are being hit hardest

by inflation. It is time to give them some relief. We need to get rid of the state sales tax on food.

We can afford to do it: We have had 26 months of revenue surpluses.

         Chris Courtwright (principal economist for the state legislature) 

        “There is every reason to believe policymakers in January can and should

        enact a full and immediate acceleration of the state sales tax exemption

        for food.” (August 2022)

        A revised economic forecast for Kansas projects the state will collect 

        $407.8 million more than previously expected in the upcoming fiscal 

        year, adding to a budget surplus that could be used to eliminate the 

        6.5% state sales tax on food.” (Directors of state budget/Ks Legislative 

        Research, April 2022)     

        Ending June 2022:  2.7B surplus, Projected for 2023: 3.1 B surplus