State revenues have done better than expected through the coronavirus pandemic.
17th District Senator and Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine says lawmakers were pleasantly surprised by the strength of different tax revenue streams since the pandemic began in March, notably when it comes to retail shopping. However, he says several key business sectors have had major issues, including agriculture.
Aircraft and fuels have also struggled, and Longbine anticipates corporate income tax revenues as a whole could be down “substantially” this fall.
Relations between the Legislature and Governor Laura Kelly have frayed over the past three months as several of the governor’s major recovery policy pieces, like the Ad Astra recovery document and the plan to start school in September, have been adjusted or overturned. Longbine says one size does not fit all when it comes to a statewide response.
Off the coronavirus topic, Longbine says both the Kansas House and Senate took a more conservative turn after the primary election. However, he says the majority of the bills worked in the Legislature get bipartisan support and that won’t change — although the gap between “strong left” and “strong right” will be wider and it may be more difficult to get bills on bigger issues passed.
