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Leaders of Kentucky House and Senate United in Support of Local Option Sales Tax Plan

www.ky.gov

Democratic and Republican leaders in the Kentucky legislature are in rare accord on a priority issue at the start of the General Assembly's 2015 session.

Both Sen. President Robert Stivers, a Manchester Republican, and House Speaker Greg Stumbo, a Democrat from Prestonsburg, are optimistic about the fate of a constitutional amendment this year which would allow voters to place a local option sales tax on their city ballots.

Less than a month ago, Stumbo joined Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray to announce that the local option sales tax would be the House's top priority, labeling it House Bill 1. Now, Stumbo says he's hearing positive preliminary feedback on the bill's fate.

"Sen. Stivers said--and he said it very eloquently, I thought and pretty succinct--'This is pure democracy. In its purest form,' which I thought was a pretty positive sign. And he also said something which I think is very appropriate and I hadn't thought about. He mentioned that if we were going to do tax reform at some point in time...this is a tool."

Stivers said on Tuesday, the first day of the General Assembly convened for the session, that he is fully supportive of the bill.

"You call it a local option sales tax. I call it a local option for people to decide their own fate. I'm not going to push it. I'm not going to impose my will on the body but that's democracy in its purest form. I could be for that. And I've said that publicly, that you go back to a local level on a sales tax that is evenly applied and if the residents of Jefferson County want to do that, then they'll have the opportunity to vote on that." 

The most vocal opposition to the measure comes from left-leaning Democrats like Jim Wayne, of Louisville. Wayne fought against the local option sales tax last year, and he says that even with his party's support behind the bill, it's still a bad idea.

"It disproportionately effects the poor, and asks them to pay for projects that benefit the wealthy," Wayne said.

Rick has been a member of the WFPL News team since 2001 and has covered numerous beats and events over the years. Most recently he’s been tracking the Indiana General Assembly and the region’s passion for sports, especially college basketball.
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