Kansas House committee unveils sweeping tax plan: lower school property taxes, new sports betting levy
House Taxation Committee rewrites Senate tax bill to cut school district property taxes, end certain sales tax exemptions and impose a 2% tax on sports wagers
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas House Taxation Committee on Friday advanced a sweeping substitute bill that would cut property taxes levied by school districts while offsetting the lost revenue through new taxes on sports wagering and lottery tickets and by eliminating certain sales tax exemptions.
House Substitute for SB 303, introduced Friday, would decrease the rate of ad valorem property tax imposed by school districts and create a new property tax relief fund with transfers to the state school district finance fund. To replace the revenue, the measure would discontinue certain sales tax exemptions, impose sales tax on lottery ticket purchases and levy a 2% privilege excise tax on all sports wagers placed in Kansas. A new sports wagering privilege tax refund fund would also be established.
The plan represents a significant reshaping of how Kansas funds its public schools, shifting part of the burden from local property taxpayers to consumers and the state's legal sports betting industry, which launched in 2022.
The full House has not yet scheduled a vote on the substitute bill. The measure emerged on the final day before the Legislature's spring break, and lawmakers are expected to return Monday to begin work on conference committee reports and remaining legislation.
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