The National Federation of Independent Business, or NFIB here in Kansas, released its top legislative priorities as well as a recent survey of Kansas members, which found strong support for the energy choice bill as well as conforming the state law here in Kansas to forgive our hard working small business owners here in Kansas a break on the already forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Here’s are NFIB’s top issues for the 2021 Kansas legislative session:

1) Assuring and adopting policy which preserves a positive unemployment insurance tax climate. Considering the significant toll on the UI fund, we are exploring legislation that will mitigate the impact on Kansas employers.

2) Property tax transparency.  NFIB is supporting legislation that will provide for more transparency regarding property taxes. In this case, if a local taxing authority experiences increased revenue due to higher property valuations, they must hold the revenue neutral by decreasing the mill levy OR inform the taxed population that they intend not to decrease the mill levy by notice and hold a public hearing.

3) Income tax decoupling from the federal code so that Kansas individual filers who take the new federal standard deduction can also itemize deductions at the federal level.  Following the passage of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Kansas did not decouple and Kansas individuals, many of whom are small business owners, have paid $25 million more in individual income taxes.

NFIB is also supporting the energy choice bill. This legislation, which was introduced last week, will not prevent any consumer from going all electric if they choose, it just prevents local forced electrification. According to a recent NFIB survey of our members in Kansas, when asked if Kansas municipalities should adopt ordinances that ban the use of types or sources of energy, 88% of Kansas small business owners replied “no.”

Another big priority for Kansas small business owners is conforming Kansas state law with the federal law to prevent the taxation of forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans. In that same recent survey of our Kansas members, 85% of our members want legislators to take action on this issue.

“Our small business owners here in Kansas are still trying to get back on their feet after this health and economic crisis. According to another recent NFIB survey, most small business owners don’t expect economic conditions to improve to pre-pandemic levels until next year at the earliest. Conforming Kansas state law with federal law is something that lawmakers can easily do to help our hard working and job creating entrepreneurs get back to doing what they do best: creating jobs and keeping Kansas’ economy running,” said Dan Murray, NFIB State Director in Kansas.

During this 2021 legislative session, NFIB will also be fighting back against efforts to increase the minimum wage and fighting back against efforts to erode our worker’s comp system.