Kansas Lawmakers Reveal Draft Bill to Eliminate the Food Tax

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and the Legislature’s Democratic leadership on Thursday released a draft bill to get rid of the food sales tax in the state. 

Known colloquially as the “Axe the Food Tax” bill, the legislation would eliminate the state’s 6.5% sales tax on food. The draft bill also includes a full exemption on state and local taxes for items bought at farmers markets. 

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, and House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, helped craft the legislation and are formally looking for co-sponsors. 

“Eliminating the state sales tax on food benefits every family in Kansas, it supports our businesses, and strengthens our communities,” Kelly said in a press release. “The importance of delivering food sales tax relief is recognized by legislators and policymakers on both sides of the aisle – and I look forward to working with my Legislative colleagues, in a bipartisan fashion, to find co-sponsors and get a clean bill through the Legislature and on to my desk.”

Sawyer added in a statement that “it’s past time to relieve Kansans of this tax burden. Big businesses had their turn last year; now, it’s time for Kansas families to catch a break.”… (Excerpts from the Virginia Star)