Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says Kansas legislators shouldn't abandon what he calls a pro-growth policy of moving away from income taxes even as they raise new revenues to balance the state budget.
Brownback said Wednesday that he's pushing legislators to increase consumption taxes such as the state's sales tax to fix the budget. The state faces a projected $406 million shortfall for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Some GOP legislators advocate repealing a 2012 law that exempted the profits of more than 330,000 business owners and farmers from income taxes. Brownback championed the policy as an economic stimulus.
Brownback told The Associated Press that moving away from income taxes toward consumption taxes is the best pro-growth policy and it would be unwise to move away from that approach.