Gov. Kelly visits Pittsburg to double down on Axing Your Taxes plan

PITTSBURG, Kan. (WIBW) - Governor Laura Kelly has doubled down on her efforts to pass her Axing Your Taxes plan to benefit all Kansans with a visit in Pittsburg.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced on Monday, Feb. 6, that she traveled to the Family Resource Center in Pittsburg to discuss the “Axing Your Taxes” plan and how it will benefit residents. She said the plan calls for the immediate elimination of the state’s sales tax on groceries, diapers and feminine hygiene to ease financial burdens on hardworking Kansans.

“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,” Gov. Kelly said. “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 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.”

Kelly indicated that the Family Resource Center has provided a safe and supportive space for Kansas students to learn in, including those with special needs, for more than a quarter of a century. She was joined by Family Resource Center Executive Director Ann Elliott and Executive Director of Community Green Farms and member of the Kansas Food Action Network Matt O’Malley to discuss the benefits of the plan.

“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,” O’Malley said. “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 the aforementioned eliminations, Kelly said the plan will also call for an annual sales tax holiday for school supplies in August and to cut taxes on social security for retirees. She said the plan will not take essential money and resources from students.