ICYMI: Governor Laura Kelly: It’s Time to Come Together and Eliminate the State’s Sales Tax on Food to Save Kansans Money

Key Quote: Between the high food sales tax and the pandemic-induced inflation that has raised prices on all kinds of goods, it’s no surprise Kansans are struggling. The pandemic has created numerous challenges for all of us in nearly every part of our lives. While families feel the pain in their pockets, eliminating the tax on food at grocery stores and farmers markets across the state would give Kansans more room to breathe financially and the ability to reinvest that money back in our state’s economy.  

Gov. Kelly: Eliminating the food sales tax can provide financial relief for Kansans
Governor Laura Kelly

The Wichita Eagle 
February 13, 2022

For too long, Kansans have been paying more for groceries than almost any other state. At 6.5 percent, we have the second-highest food sales tax in the country.

And it’s just wrong. It’s wrong for our families struggling to put food on the table. It’s wrong for our local businesses as we try to keep our workforce in Kansas. And it’s wrong for our economy, leading Kansans to cross state lines to do their grocery shopping.

Between the high food sales tax and the pandemic-induced inflation that has raised prices on all kinds of goods, it’s no surprise Kansans are struggling. The pandemic has created numerous challenges for all of us in nearly every part of our lives. While families feel the pain in their pockets, eliminating the tax on food at grocery stores and farmers markets across the state would give Kansans more room to breathe financially and the ability to reinvest that money back in our state’s economy.

During my campaign for Governor, I promised the people of Kansas that I would cut this unnecessary financial burden for our families. In November, I announced my plan to ‘Axe the Food Tax’ – a complete elimination of the state food sales tax – an effort that’s estimated to save Kansas families an average of $500 every year.

I know how big a difference this will make for Kansas families. I know how far these savings will go – money that could be spent on childcare, on dinner and a movie, towards saving for college, or paying the light bill.

Calls for eliminating the food sales tax have had bipartisan support for years, but now we actually have the chance to get it done. I’m proud of the work I’ve done to deliver for Kansans throughout my time as Governor. Axing the food sales tax is yet another way we can do that.

Eliminating the state sales tax on food will also help Kansas grocers and farmers. Grocery stores near state lines have lost business due to the high tax on food, bleeding shoppers over the border just to save on groceries. That hurts our small businesses, and it hurts our economy. We can’t keep driving our own consumers across state lines. When we Axe the Food Tax, we’ll put money back into our economy and back in Kansans’ pockets.

We’ve got the means to do this. With the largest budget surplus in 40 years, we’ve proven that we can responsibly manage the budget while also saving Kansans’ money. It doesn’t have to be either/or.

We can Axe the Food Tax while we fully fund public schools. We can Axe the Food Tax while we fix our roads and bridges. We can Axe the Food Tax while we expand access to high-speed internet. It’s possible, and it’s necessary.

The foundation has been laid. Now is the time to come together and get it done to start putting hundreds of dollars back in Kansans’ pockets every year.

I urge lawmakers to get a clean bill to my desk as soon as possible. Together, we can bring financial relief to Kansans.

Let’s finally Axe the Food Tax.

 

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