(Jan. 8, 2024) – Today, under the backdrop of a Kansas snowfall, the 2024 Kansas legislators returned for the start of the 2024 legislative session. They mostly added office supplies and items, trained new administrative support staff, and caught up on email correspondence. Many of the official legislative portraits also were updated.

Legislative Committee meetings will begin this week, with tax being a large focus for the early legislative session. Legislators left Topeka following 2023 legislative session without major tax policy reform, and legislative leadership has made tax reform a focus for early in the 2024 session. In light of that focus, Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference with Republican Senators John Doll (R-Garden City), Rob Olson (R-Olathe) and Independent Senator Dennis Pyle (I-Hiawatha). The press conference, which also included Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes (D-Lenexa), focused on rolling out an alternative to the 2023 single rate plan that didn't get veto-proof majorities in 2023. The plans highlights include:

• State property tax reductions
• Eliminating state taxes on social security income
• Increasing the standard deduction for single Kansans from $3,500 to $5,000, and for head of households from $6,000 to $7,500, and for those married filing jointly from $8,000 to $10,000
• Expediting the elimination of the sales tax on groceries and ingredients
• Eliminating sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products
• Increasing the child and dependent care tax credit
• Creating a back-to-school state sales tax holiday

Meanwhile, the Senate looks to take the lead on tax policy with hearings set in the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee on Thursday, related to Senate Bill 196, the local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund.