HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson community is invited to join Democratic Rep. Jason Probst and Chris Courtwright, the former chief economist for the Kansas Legislature, for a discussion on the history of Kansas tax policy over the past several decades.
The event will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17 at the Wool Market and DIY School, 420 N. Main in Hutchinson. Light refreshments will be served at this spooky Halloween-themed event.
“Every election, a lot of candidates claiming to be conservative crow about lowering taxes for working Kansas families,” Probst said. “But the truth really is terrifying - because year after year, decade after decade, those same people have been in charge and not only have they not lowered taxes - they’ve taken steps to raise Kansans’ taxes. And there’s no one in Kansas who understands that history better than Chris Courtwright. When it comes to state and local tax policy, he knows where the bodies are buried.”
Courtwright most recently served as a member of the Governor’s Council on Tax Reform. He retired in 2020 as the Chief Economist for the Kansas Legislature, after 35 years of service. During that time, he oversaw the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, which provides economic forecasts policymakers rely on to make budget decisions. He also authored the annual Kansas Tax Facts. A noted expert in the field, Courtwright has received numerous awards and acknowledgements for his work, and has been keynote speaker and presenter for a number of policy forums, including the Kansas Economic Policy Conference and the Federal Reserve Economic Roundtable.