Property tax constitutional amendment fails in Kansas House
A proposed constitutional amendment to cap property tax valuation increases was defeated in the Kansas House, signaling deep divisions on how to deliver tax relief even as a more targeted tax bill passed the same day.
TOPEKA, Kan. — A significant effort to amend the state constitution to limit property tax assessed value increases failed to advance out of the House Committee of the Whole on Tuesday.
The measure, SCR 1616, would have capped assessed value increases for real property and mobile homes. It was not recommended for adoption after an attempt to amend it on the floor was soundly defeated.
The key test came on a motion from Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, D-Johnson County, to amend the resolution. That motion failed on a 37-78 vote, after which the resolution itself failed to gain the support needed to move forward.
The sharp divide on the amendment vote suggests that while property tax relief is a major goal for both parties this session, there is no consensus on using a constitutional change to achieve it.
While the broader measure stalled, the House passed HB 2769 on a 94-25 vote. The bill requires members of governing bodies of subordinate service taxing areas to be residents of those areas.
The success of the narrower bill, contrasted with the failure of the constitutional amendment, illustrates the Legislature's difficulty in agreeing on large-scale tax reform.
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