FRANKFORT, Ky. — Democratic House leaders want to add a 6 percent sales tax to Kentucky Lottery purchases and expand the selection of lottery games as a way to increase funding for the state's ailing pension system.
House State Government Chairman Brent Yonts, D-Greenville, said adding a 6 percent sales tax on lottery games could generate about $49 million a year for the state. Adding additional games to the lottery could generate an additional $70 million to $90 million, he said.
Combined, Yonts predicted the changes would provide the $120 million in General Fund money needed by July 1, 2014 to fully fund Kentucky's pension system, which has only half the money it is projected to need to pay current and future retirees.
Yonts said his committee will vote Tuesday on the House's version of Senate Bill 2, the pension overhaul bill. The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee also will vote Tuesday on the lottery revenue bill, Yonts said.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said leaders thought changes to the lottery would be the most likely revenue-generating option to pass. Any proposal to raise revenue during the current 30-workday legislative session requires 60 votes to pass, which means Republican support is essential.
Stumbo said he hasn't yet talked to House Republicans about whether they will back the bill. There are 55 Democrats and 45 Republicans in the House.
The Senate passed its version of a pension overhaul bill earlier this month. Senate Bill 2 would move new employees into a 401(K)-type system and would eliminate automatic cost-of-living increases for new employees, among other things.
When will politicians learn that it is entirely possible to tax something to death? A sales tax on top of an already paid voluntary tax? How SCHTUPID can this democrat "leader" be?
They are doing revenue creation where ever they can find it now.
What idiots!
"Democrats propose taxing lottery tickets."
What a shock. Anyone surprised?
I think they should have a referendum on this after publishing all of the particulars about the government employees' pensions.
If adjustments have to be made, maybe those employees who voted themselves overly lavish pensions could help out the cause too instead of putting it all on the backs of lottery players. Let them sacrifice a little too. Let them be reasonable and take a little less instead of all of the lottery players paying more.
Like the Rolling Stones said, "You can't always get what you want."
eat the poor as usual.
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Sorry, I can't stop laughing...
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I guess this answers the question "How dumb can they be?"
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At one time Lottery winnings in Michigan were free of state income tax and then Michigan started taxing them.
If Michigan were to put a sales tax on tickets I can guess what would happen!
From a gambling standpoint, it's amazing they would even consider this. I understand the Democrats' desire to tax anything and everything in existence, but can they just stop for one second and realize that by making a lottery ticket cost $1.06 instead of $1.00, that they will throw off the entire cost-to-prize equation? Those long odds for winning, and the amount of money you win compared to the amount you spend, just got a lot worse.
It's as if every time you throw down a $10 bet at blackjack, you are forced to tip the dealer 60 cents. Is this getting through?
They will suck us all dry, enough is enough!
I hope the lottery players make a stand, if they don't, they deserve what they get.
Try that here Michigan, you will lose.
If the politicians in MY state DARE propose and pass such a tax, I will STOP playing the state lottery! Who's with me?
If they tax the tickets.............sales will drop by at least 10%.....................so the 6% tax will not be enough to make up for decreased sales.
I'm with you, that is just idiotic!! That is the day I would stop playing the lottery.
Instead of trying to locate and fix government waste (you know there's a lot of it) the lazy azzez just say hey let's tax something new.
They may have a 10% decrease in sales but the other 90% taxed at 6% will go into a different tax pool. A loss for the lottery revenue for what that went to but an increase in revenue for the pension pool.
Obviously increased tax revenue is more important than the lottery revenue after prize payouts.
Spending is not the problem, shortage of tax revenue is.