By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
The Kansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity wants members of the 2013 Legislature to sign a pledge that they will vote against tax increases.
So far, 25 have signed the anti-tax pledge. Here is a link to those who have: http://bit.ly/ZDIy73
But would a legislator be breaking that pledge if he or she supported extension of the 6.3 percent state sales tax rate? Under current law, that rate is set to decrease to 5.7 percent on July 1, 2013.
The answer to that question is yes, but there is a caveat.
According to Jennifer Rezac, a spokeswoman for AFP-Kansas, if extending the 6.3 percent state sales tax rate "were included in legislation that has an overall net reduction in taxes, then it wouldn't be violating the pledge."
The Kansas Chamber of Commerce, which vehemently opposed the temporary sales tax increase when it was passed in 2010, now supports maintaining the rate if it means further reductions in state income taxes.
Both the Kansas Chamber and AFP have worked hard, and succeeded in many instances, in helping defeat legislators who voted for that temporary state sales tax increase, which was approved to avoid deeper cuts to schools, social services and public safety.
