Kansas Governor Kelly touts “Ax the Food Tax” plan in Pittsburg
As she continues to push her plan to “Ax the Food Tax”, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a stop in Pittsburg Monday at the city’s Family Resource Center.
She says her plan will save Kansans over $500 million over the next three years with Governor Laura Kelly’s “Axe the Food Tax” plan.
Kelly adds that it’s important that residents don’t go to bordering states to buy their groceries. “You are a border county so you see bleeding going over to Missouri. Can you imagine what it’s like when you get into the really heavily populated areas like Johnson and Wyandotte County? There are caravans of people going across to buy their food.”
“Thanks to years of responsible budget management, we’re able to afford to put money back in Kansans’ pockets without putting our children’s education on the chopping block or breaking the bank,” said Kelly. “The ‘Axing Your Taxes’ plan will provide relief to Kansans in every corner of our state, including in Southeast Kansas. I look forward to continuing to work with The Family Resource Center and Live Well Crawford County to ease this unnecessary financial burden for our families.”
The Family Resource Center has provided a safe and supportive learning environment for Kansas students, including students with special needs, for over 25 years.
Governor Kelly was joined by The Family Resource Center Executive Director Ann Elliott, and Executive Director of Community Green Farms and a member of the Kansas Food Action Network, Matt O’Malley, to discuss the benefits of the “Axing Your Taxes” plan.
“The price of food and diapers is already too high, but these costs become especially concerning when you look at the cost of child care,” said Ann Elliott, Executive Director of The Family Resource Center. “Child care can cost a dual-income family household a fourth of their annual income, and nearly half of the annual income for single-income parents. Any dollars that our families can save with Governor Kelly’s ‘Axing Your Taxes’ plan will benefit those we serve.”
“As parents of two small children, my wife and I would see an immediate impact on our household budget if the sales tax on basic needs items was eliminated,” said Matt O’Malley, Executive Director of Community Green Farms and a member of the Kansas Food Action Network. “Every senior on a fixed income, young professional, and hard-working Kansas family will benefit from this move. It’s just the right thing to do.”
In addition to calling for the complete and immediate elimination of the food sales tax and the tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products, Governor Kelly’s “Axing Your Taxes” plan also calls for an annual sales tax holiday for school supplies in August and to cut taxes on social security for retirees. The “Axing Your Taxes” plan won’t take away essential money and resources for our students: Governor Kelly’s latest budget allows for this tax relief while ensuring our schools are fully funded and that special education programs are on track to being fully funded.
Governor Kelly’s remarks as prepared can be found here.