Republican Gov. Sam Brownback says a bill advanced by the Kansas House that would increase personal income taxes is “a big step backwards.”

Brownback made his comments in a speech Wednesday at the Statehouse to members of the National Federation of Independent Business.

The governor made similar comments to KSAL News. He said this is a bad idea, and it’s not the way the country is trending.

 

The House gave first-round approval to a bill that would increase income taxes by raising more than $1 billion over two years. Supporters are promoting it as the best way to balance the budget.

The bill would abandon core policies Brownback pushed in 2012 and 2013. Brownback contends tax cuts previously championed have created economic growth. But the state has struggled to balance its budget since.