Kansas Governor to Propose Bill Eliminating Grocery Tax

The governor of Kansas announced plans to eliminate the so-called grocery tax. In a news release issued on Nov. 8, Governor Laura Kelly said she is introducing a bill in the legislature in January to get rid of the state's sales tax on food.

According to Kelly, the move to “axe the food tax” will provide relief to residents of Kansas, which currently has a food sales tax rate of 6.5%. “For too long, Kansans have been paying more for groceries than people in almost every other state. This legislation will save the average Kansas family $500 dollars or more a year on their grocery,” she declared.

The Democratic governor's announcement was lauded by Democratic lawmakers, who echoed the need for relief among shoppers. The state’s Republican attorney general, Derek Schmidt – who has launched a campaign to run for governor against Kelly next year – has also called for sales tax relief for groceries at a time of rising inflation. “Everybody buys groceries, but they tend to be a bigger portion of a family's budget when the budget is smaller. So this is something that we can do right now in Kansas in order to help working Kansas families,” he told the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Kansas is one of 13 states with a sales tax imposed on groceries.