The Kansas Taxpayers Network (KTN) was founded in the late 1980's following the disastrous tax hikes enacted as part of the reclassification and reappraisal of property that occurred in Kansas.

Since that time KTN has become the leading voice for Kansas taxpayers at the statehouse. KTN has been at the forefront of the opposition to the higher taxes that have given this state the dubious distinction of being the high tax point on the prairie.

During the last five years KTN has had two strong advocates working on behalf of taxpayers with the Kansas legislature. KTN's testimony and on-going presence has provided a voice for the overburdened taxpayer in this state.

In the mid-to-late 1990's KTN successfully worked with legislators to help get tax reductions enacted that reduced the statewide property tax mill levy, lowered state income tax rates from a maximum of 7.35 percent (the highest in our five state region) to 6.45 percent (slightly less than the highest, Oklahoma at 6.75 percent), and end the odious "paper clip" tax on business personal property by getting an exemption on low value property enacted.

KTN has since 1994 been circulating a Taxpayer Protection Pledge where state candidates for public office would promise not to raise taxes if elected. Many of the "tax 'n spend" politicians from the two major political parties in this state have opposed this pledge since it limits their ability to promise one thing to voters while enacting in the usual "tan 'n spend" public policies promoted by the liberal Kansas news media. Governor Graves has been heated in his opposition to the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and refused to sign it. In 1998 he ran for reelection promoting tax cuts but has regularly supported and helped enact numerous tax hikes during his second term in office.

In 1996 KTN began rating legislators on their fiscal votes at the state capitol. This is another tool for forcing some amount of fiscal accountability on these elected officials. Tax 'n spend legislators from both of the two major political parties are not happy that their fiscal votes are coming under close scrutiny from Kansas taxpayers.

Karl Peterjohn

Karl Peterjohn has been the Executive Director of the Kansas Taxpayers Network since 1992, lobbying on behalf of taxpayers in Topeka. The Kansas Taxpayers Network was established in 1989 in the aftermath of the reappraisal and classification problems occurring with Kansas property taxes. KTN is a statewide, non partisan taxpayers organization based in Wichita with over 2,500 individual and business contributors providing the support for KTN's quarterly newsletter and two "taxpayer advocates" working with the legislature at the state capitol. KTN works with local and state taxpayer groups across Kansas and provides liaison services with national tax organizations.

In his many years leading KTN, Peterjohn has worked for legislation to reduce automobile property taxes of over 50 percent in Kansas beginning in 1996, enacted an exemption on personal property valued at less than $250, worked to phase down the statewide property tax 15 mills in 1997 and 1998, stop administratively increased tax hikes, and been sued for circulating petitions (see City of Wichita v. Kansas Taxpayers Network & Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Supreme Court 1994). KTN & Peterjohn lost the petition litigation.

However, this legal defeat hasn't stopped Peterjohn from leading the successful opposition to four Wichita area tax referendums on increasing sales and property taxes and he helped preserve the property tax lid. Peterjohn received undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics and Government from Ohio University. After graduating he worked as a Budget Analyst in the California Dept. of Finance from 1973-75.

In 1994 KTN began circulating its Kansas Taxpayers Protection Pledge to legislative candidates. All five GOP federal elected officials from Kansas are pledge signers and a number of legislators used the pledge as part of their commitment against raising gasoline taxes in 1999.

In 1978, Peterjohn moved to Kansas and has worked in a variety of positions as an economist and quality engineer in the Wichita area. He has written several public policy analyses on state and local government for the Heartland Institute and the Wichita Community Foundation. Over a decade ago his article on the privatization of trash collecting in Wichita appeared in Reason Magazine. In 1994, Peterjohn was appointed to one of the positions on the Kansas Council on Privatization.

Currently Peterjohn writes a weekly editorial column which has appeared in over 50 Kansas daily and weekly newspapers across Kansas. Besides his work on behalf of KTN, Peterjohn resides in west Wichita with his wife Marilyn. In the past, Peterjohn was a veteran jogger with a best Marathon time of just under 3 hours and 23 minutes. In 1987, Peterjohn successfully represented Kansas in the 35-39 age group at the United States Triathlon Series National Championship at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Peterjohn is currently serving his third term on the Wichita City Library Board.