Kansas moves to phase out tax on groceries after election

By JOHN HANNA and ANDY TSUBASA FIELD
Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is moving to phase out the nation’s second-highest state sales tax on groceries, but Republican lawmakers wouldn’t have the state lower consumers’ bills until after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly faces reelection in November. The House voted 114-3 on Thursday to approve the GOP’s tax-cut proposal after the Senate voted 39-0 Wednesday to pass it. Eliminating the 6.5% tax is Kelly’s most visible legislative initiative this year. She and fellow Democrats have been waging a public campaign for weeks to get the GOP-controlled Legislature to eliminate the whole tax on July 1. The Republican plan would phase out the tax over three years, dropping it to 4% in January. Kelly promised to sign the bill.