Democrats at the Kansas Statehouse managed to get a procedural vote to shoot down Gov. Sam Brownback's tax plan by a 118-0 vote Friday, Feb. 8, 2013.
Brownback is seeking more tax cuts after pushing through massive cuts to income taxes a year ago. He hopes to avoid a budget shortfall be extending a sales tax and eliminating some popular tax deductions - such as interest on home mortgages.
The tax plan was passed in haste last year, and on Friday legislators were passing a bill to clean up some rough edges, or to "correct technical flaws," as legislators put it.
Democrats added Brownback's latest tax plan as an amendment to that bill in the House. Everyone voted against it. Democrats said they were trying to stimulate debate and discussion, and that they wanted to the public to know what is in the tax plan.
At issue is the sales tax extension. It was passed in 2010 during the economic downturn to make ends meet and it was scheduled to end at the end of June of this year. Many legislators - including Republicans - do not want to break their promise.
Republicans called the move "gamemanship." The Governor's press secretary said the move was "nothing more than Washington-style gotcha politics." Democrats have often accused the governor of playing Washington style politics.
Once the dust settles, the technical cleanup bill should pass easily next week. Without the technical cleanup bill attached, the Governor's tax plan could pass soon. Republicans have the majority in both houses, but some Republicans are resisting.
The technical bill is HB 2059. The governor's tax plan can be found at HB 2110.
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