NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Republicans in the Kansas Legislature want to reduce the number of income tax brackets in the state down to one.
Even though there was a flat tax proposal last session that he voted for, Hutchinson Democratic State Representative Jason Probst isn't excited by what he heard from the leadership in the majority at a Statehouse press event on Thursday.
"The Governor is making a big push to talk about Medicaid Expansion," Probst said Friday. "Of course, House Republican leadership doesn't want to talk about that. They have no idea on what to do about health care, even though it's a legitimate and pressing concern in the state. What they do want to talk about is rolling out another version of how to make our rich friends richer."
Probst said the version of the flat tax he initially voted for last year would have had a veto-proof majority if that version had been embraced by the Senate. It was not. The new plan, at least initially, appears to be an attempt at legislative horse trading.
"It's probably some part of a bargaining tool to say, hey, we're going to give this money away," Probst said. "We can't do a tax cut and Medicaid Expansion. Or, it's part of a bargaining chip. You know, you've got to give us the tax cuts we want and in exchange for that, we'll talk about giving you Medicaid Expansion. That's effectively holding the people of Kansas hostage."
Governor Kelly's office said earlier this month that Kansas’ uninsured rate for working-age adults surpassed the national rate. Kansas’ rate was 12.5% compared to the U.S. at 11.3%.
"They label it as an entitlement program," Probst said. "They don't see it as a workforce development tool. They don't see it as a tool that will help employers be able to compete for labor, which is a desperate need right now. What they do see is that they can sell a story to their voters and tell them that the people that would benefit from Medicaid Expansion aren't like them and they keep that division going."
Probst said two years ago that if the majority party doesn't want a plan like Governor Kelly is proposing, they need to bring their own to the table. That hasn't happened. In fact, according to Probst, Republican leadership has done everything they can not to allow any topic that could be amended into something that looks like Medicaid Expansion even to come to the House floor.
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