"Thank You Phill Kline"

I first met Phill Kline when he was a back bench legislator in the early 1990's at the Kansas House of Representatives. In January, 1995 he became the chairman of the House Taxation Committee and immediately undertook a number of major efforts to aid the overburdened Kansas taxpayers.

In 1995 Phill was at the forefront of the campaign to enact a sizable reduction in Kansas car tags property tax. Kansas at that time had some of the highest rates among all 50 states. Kline was successful in forcing both a reluctant senate majority as well as freshman Governor Graves to enact signficant reductions in the car taxes that were phased in between 1996-2000.

Kline was also a leader in approving the unemployment tax moratorium that began that year and ran through 2000. This critical tax cut for business was vital in providing the economic stimulus and growth that occurred statewide in the late 1990's in Kansas.

Instead of having the highest car tag property taxes among all 50 states, Kansas dropped about a dozen places towards the middle of the pack once this tax cut was fully phased in.

In 1996 Kline led the fight for reducing property taxes statewide. He also fought to improve the appraisal process and protect small property owners and home owners. Governor Graves fought back against the tax cut rally spending advocates from both parties behind his "What part of Hell No don't you understand!" comments to the Kansas legislature that year. In 1996 Graves and the spending lobbies won but Kline kept on fighting.

A year later Phill Kline along with other strong defenders of taxpayers, Tim Shallenburger, Susan Wagle, Kay O'Connor, and others managed to get a sizable package of tax cuts totalling roughly $150 million through the Kansas house on a 64-to-58 initial vote. That vote was enough to sway both the senate and Governor Graves and this tax cut, that reduced the statewide property tax from 36.5 mills down to 28.5 mills became law.

A year later Kline was crucial in the bipartisan package of tax cuts that the entire legislature and Governor Graves proposed. This 1998 tax cut totaled almost $250 million and reduced the statewide mill levy down another seven mills where it has remained. A number of other important tax cuts including reductions in the state income tax rates and increases in exemptions occurred too. Only one negative vote in the entire legislature against this tax cut was cast by then Senator Ben Vidricksen.

These tax cuts could be implemented because state revenues were rapidly growing and unlike now, there were some budgetary constraints on state spending growth. Since 1998, the last year that Kline headed the house tax committee, Kansas has had almost annual increases in taxes and fees. The modest tax reductions that have occurred since 1999 have all been more than offset by higher taxes and often with a variety of additional fees, charges, and statutory payments. After Kline left the legislature in 2000, Kansas taxes, fees, charges, and other burdens have all soared.

As Attorney General Kline leaves statewide office for his new position in Johnson County, it is important for all Kansans to realize the critical role that Phill Kline has played in trying to improve the Kansas fiscal climate while he was in the legislature.

In his four years as Attorney General Kline was crucial in defending taxpayers from the avaricious lawsuits brought forth to require additional state spending. Sadly, taxpayers have had much better success among elected legislators than among appointed Supreme Court judges. However, Kansas taxpayers should never forget that they do not have any better friend in Kansas public office during the last 14 years than Phill Kline.

Karl Peterjohn, Executive Director
Kansas Taxpayers Network

The Left-Leaning and Unprofessional Kansas Press Maligns and Impugns Phill Kline
http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/12-18.htm