By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
This week, state Rep. Sue Boldra, R-Hays, met with constituents in Hays in the first in a series of meetings planned to allow her to hear directly what issues are on the minds of the people she represents. Boldra is facing a general election challenge from Democrat Eber Phelps, a former state representative.
Topics brought up during the meeting included healthcare, gun ownership rights, the state of the Kansas economy and the right to life movement.
One topic, however, dominated a large portion of the conversation – tax breaks for limited liability corporations ompanies in the state.
“I think it’s one of the first things we do,” Boldra said after the election, noting a potential change in House leadership after many conservative members of the party lost their seats in the primary election.
Boldra said she believes the tax break for LLCs has cost nearly four times original projections.
“It’s not going to fix the problem, but we would have some assurance of money coming it,” she said, further noting the pending changes in the House – along with state budget concerns – would create a situation in which stopping LLC tax breaks would be a “no-brainer.”
Boldra estimated the average tax break for an LLC to be $800 to $1,500 – not enough to hurt the LLCs.
“It really doesn’t have that much of an impact,” Boldra said. “It’s an unfair tax break.”
But those dollars would make a significant impact on state revenue, she said.
Boldra also speculated business owners in the Legislature might be putting their own interests above their constituents.
“I wonder if it’s their pocketbooks talking here,” she said.
Beyond the LLC loophole, Boldra believes budget problems have been – at least in part – created due to bad budget forecasting.
Tax revenue has missed projections 11 out of the 12 months, a problem Boldra attributes to the forecasters, noting the committee that creates the projections is made up of academics who fail to understand western Kansas.
“I think we need to change the makeup of who is on that committee,” she said.
State spending is based on those projects and so, when revenues have fallen short, Kansas has been left scrambling to find money.
“I don’t know how to we fix the projections,” Boldra said. “I think we need to fix the revenue.”
One way to alleviate revenue problems brought up by attendees was to embrace Medicaid/Medicare expansion, something Republican leadership in Kansas has stood firmly against, costing the state millions in revenue from the federal government.
While Boldra said she would not guarantee she would vote for such an expansion, she said the conversation needs to occur.
Additional town halls will be at Breathe Coffee House, 703 Main, at the following times:
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5th from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.