KENTUCKY CHAMBER ADVOCACY
Chamber efforts save businesses $ 460 million a year
The Kentucky Chamber ’ s advocacy during the
2016 session of the Kentucky General Assembly saved Kentucky businesses an estimated $ 460 million a year . Here ’ s a breakdown of how the Chamber ’ s work generated real savings for the business community .
KENTUCKY ACADEMIC STANDARDS REPEAL
SB 210 and HB 553 would have eliminated the state ’ s current academic standards ( strongly supported by the Kentucky Chamber ) and replaced them with new standards . The Kentucky Department of Education estimates it would take a minimum of $ 35 million to develop and implement replacement standards . Since Kentucky businesses contribute 40 % of all Kentucky tax revenue , the cost to the business community of eliminating the standards would be $ 17.5 million ( 40 % of $ 35 million ).
TAX ON PIPELINES
House Bills 551 and HB 240 would have established a pipeline safety fund by imposing a per mile tax on hazardous liquids and natural gas pipelines running through Kentucky . HB 240 would have imposed a tax of $ 120 per mile while HB 551 would have imposed a higher assessment of $ 250 per mile . According to the U . S . Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration database , there are 35,454 miles of gas pipelines and 916 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines in Kentucky , for a total of 36,370 miles of pipeline . Based on this , a fee of $ 120 per mile would have generated $ 4.364 million per year , while a fee of $ 250 per mile would have generated approximately $ 9.1 million annually .
ANTI-BUSINESS TAX REFORM HB 342 would have made a number of substantial changes in Kentucky ’ s tax code . In addition to increasing individual income tax rates on higher incomes , capping itemized deductions and phasing out the tax exemption for public and private pensions , several provisions would have had an impact on Kentucky businesses ( revenue estimates are from the Legislative Research Commission ’ s Fiscal Note on HB 342 ):
• Imposing the sales tax on a number of services to generate an estimated $ 104 million per year in additional state revenue when fully implemented ( Kentucky businesses pay an estimated 50 % of all sales taxes for an impact of $ 52 million per year ).
• A combined reporting requirement for businesses to generate $ 25 million per year in additional state revenue .
• Imposing a “ throwback rule ” to require income that is not taxed in any other state to be taxed in the home state of the business to generate $ 16 million per year in additional state revenue .
• Disallowance of business income attributed to foreign operations to generate $ 25 million per year in additional state revenue .
• Changes to the Limited Liability Entity Tax to generate $ 13 million per year in additional state revenue .
• Elimination of the Domestic Production Activities Deduction to generate $ 4 million per year in additional state revenue .
The total impact of these tax changes on Kentucky ’ s business community would have been an estimated $ 135 million annually .
MATERNITY LEAVE MANDATE HB 627 would have required employers with 50 or more employees to provide six weeks of paid maternity leave for an employee who has been employed at least one year . Three states ( California , New Jersey and Rhode Island ) currently have laws that require paid maternity leave that is funded by employee payroll taxes . In California , each worker pays about $ 30 per year and taxes are capped at $ 29 per year in New Jersey .* HB 627 would not have required employees to fund maternity leave , so the cost would have fallen on Kentucky employers . While no published studies are available of the financial impact on Kentucky , assuming costs similar to the California and New Jersey programs , Kentucky employers ’ costs would have been approximately $ 30 per year per employee . The U . S . Small Business Administration estimates that more than 70 % of Kentucky ’ s employees ( approximately 1,050,000 workers ) work in private businesses of 50 or more employees . This would have resulted in a cost of approximately $ 31.5 million per year ($ 30 per year X 1.05 million employees = $ 31.5 million per year ). * Source : “ What would it cost to have mandatory , paid parental leave ,” Fortune , February 5 , 2015
The Kentucky Chamber public affairs team spends each day during the session of the Kentucky General Assembly in the halls of the state capitol . From left , Jacqueline Pitts , Ashli Watts , Travis Burton and Kate Shanks .