Abramson Says Tax Code Exemptions Questioned During Blue Ribbon Meetings

For months, the 23-member Blue Ribbon Tax Commission has listened to various groups about how to reform the Kentucky’s tax code.

The 23-member group has visited Paducah and Bowling Green so far.  Its halfway point in the travel meetings is Tuesday in Louisville, where the commission will meet at Highland Middle School from 6 to 8 p.m.

The commission chairman, Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson, says that two public input meetings haven'’t yielded definite changes yet. But he says one of the biggest questions citizens have is why there are so many exemptions in the tax code.

"...there'’s 161 pages of tax exemptions and they haven't been looked at in maybe, forever, and lobbyists have had them put in session after session going all the way back to the 1930’s and 1940’s," said Abramson.

The commission will visit areas in the state's three other congressional districts in the months after the Louisville meetings.
Then, members will return for three meetings in Frankfort before finally presenting their own report to Governor Steve Beshear in November.