The GOP-controlled Kansas legislature is preparing today to override Gov. Kelly's veto of tax relief, but legislators are concerned if they will have enough votes to override her veto that would result in state taxes increasing.
Representative Doug Blex for Montgomery County said the vote was originally 83 in favor of overriding Kelly's veto, and 41 were originally against it. He said the House meets today to reconsider the override. They say a failure to override means citizens will pay more taxes.
Overriding a veto takes a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. In the House, that’s 84 votes, which is also the number of Republican lawmakers. In the Senate, it’s 27 votes out of 28 Republican senators.
Senator Richard Hilderbrand for Cherokee County doubts it will happen on the Senate side. It looks like too many of our legislators are out due to weather, road issues, or vacation.
Gov. Kelly said her veto means the state will have $606 million in the bank at the end of the next fiscal year, and said her veto was in part to prevent some non-essential spending to prepare for unexpected emergencies.
Republicans say there's a better chance to override her veto of making a $51 million payment to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System or KPERS fund for county and city employee pensions.
