The Garden City Telegram
NEW E-Edition!
Subscription
Required
Add Your Comment | Read (0) Comments
AP: Educators ask Senate panel to raise taxes
Published 3/12/2010 in Local News
TOPEKA (AP) — Two Kansas education groups and a school superintendent urged a legislative committee Thursday to increase taxes.
The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee heard testimony on a bill raising the state sales and tobacco taxes.
Superintendent Mike Mathes said the Seaman district north of Topeka may lay off teachers and increase class sizes if state aid is cut further.
"The investment our state has made in schools has been critical to the success we have seen in student achievement and in preparing students for entry into the work force," Mathes said. "This is a critical point in the history of Kansas education."
Lobbyists for the Kansas Association of School Boards and the Kansas-National Education Association said new revenues would prevent damaging cuts.
"We believe it is time for the Legislature to put revenue on the table," said KNEA lobbyist Mark Desetti. "We leave it to the Legislature to determine what the best revenue-raising solution is."
The bill would raise the 5.3 percent sales tax to 6.3 percent for three years. It would also raise the cigarette tax by 55 cents a pack, to $1.34, and increase the tax on other tobacco products from 10 percent to 40 percent.
Committee Chairman Les Donovan, a Wichita Republican, said the panel will vote next week on the bill and other proposals to raise taxes.
Special ed change
Kansas senators have approved a change in the way the state distributes money for special education to school districts.
The 33-7 vote Thursday sends the bill to the House.
The issue affects funding for the so-called catastrophic costs of providing services to special education students.
The bill was inspired by claims filed by three Johnson County districts that increased the amount of catastrophic aid they received, at the expense of other districts across the state.
The only senators voting against the measure were from Johnson County.
The bill raises the trigger for qualifying for catastrophic aid from the current $25,000 to $46,000 in extra costs.
Under the dome
Thursday was the 67th day of the Legislature's annual session, out of 90 scheduled.
Found 0 comment(s)!