The Kentucky General Assembly has adopted tax changes during this 2019 session. The tax measure passed by wide margins in both chambers Wednesday night. But there were some vocal concerns.
The legislation is promoted as a fix to tax reforms enacted a year ago. Among other things, it offered tax relief to non-profits and small farm wineries, addressed sales taxes for online retailers, and lessened the tax burden for thousands of low-income citizens. Berea Senator Jared Carpenter backed a provision removing the sales tax on fishing tournament entry fees.
“People are starting to say we’re not going to have these in Kentucky. We’re going to go across the line. Some of my colleague's districts down in western Kentucky, they say we’re going to go over in Tennessee instead of having it in Kentucky,” said Carpenter.
Minority Floor Leader Morgan McGarvey voted for the tax bill but would like to see votes on revenue generators like sports gambling and medicinal marijuana. “Yes we clean up things and have some much-needed relief for some very good people and some very good organizations, but we still don’t have revenue included that we know we need to operate the basic needs and obligations of state government,” McGarvey said.
When it came to the final votes, there were eight no votes in the 100 member House and three in the 38 member Senate.
