Tax relief 'special session' date still not set

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has yet to set a date for a special session, despite plans to announce a date this week. The Governor previously stated that she'd be working with lawmakers to find a date that works best.

Kelly is calling lawmakers back to the statehouse, after vetoing a bipartisan tax plan that would move the state to a two-tier tax system. It came after House Democrats defied the Governor last month, making a bold move to go against another bipartisan plan that would've maintained the state's three-tier system.

Several tax cut proposals were floated this session, as Republicans initially pushed for a "flat tax" package. The Governor followed through with her promise to strike that down, but lawmakers have been at odds over which package would be the most sustainable since. The debate is largely focused on the income tax portion of the package.

Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins spoke with Nexstar's Kansas Capitol Bureau in an interview Wednesday, indicating that there's hope for crafting a new deal.

“What those exact rates are is going to be the difference because if we’ve got to hit a certain number to be able to get the governors signature, those rates are going to have to change a little bit,” Hawkins said.