The 2nd meeting of the Subcommittee on Taxation of the Special Advisory Commission of Senior Citizens was held on Thursday, November 5, 2009, at 2:30 PM, in the Kentucky Room 1 of the Capital Plaza Hotel. James Huff, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: James Huff, Chair; Cluster Belcher, Bertha Daniels, Carole Dunn, Jerry Moser, Jack Niece, Elmer Olson, Kenneth Overhults, Dennis Shaw, Martha Shircliffe, Berton Sisk, Martha Smith, Donald Stethen, Roger Truitt, and Alban Wheeler.
Guests: Davey King, Kentucky Housing Corporation
LRC Staff: Eric Kennedy, Sheri Mahan, and Charlotte Quarles.
A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes from the May meeting as written. The motion carried by voice vote.
Chairman Huff introduced the new members of the subcommittee. He then called for a moment of silence for Ms. Rowena Emerson.
Chairman Huff updated the subcommittee on his efforts to contact legislators on the Elder Care Credit legislation during the 2009 Regular Session. He reported that he had spoken to Representative Tommy Thompson and Commissioner Debbie Anderson. He reported that he had received a memorandum from the executive branch concerning the cost of the proposal which only included the estimated cost of the income tax credit but did not include any projected savings in regard to Medicaid.
Mr. Davey King of the Kentucky Housing Corporation gave a PowerPoint presentation on “Homelessness in Kentucky’s 55+ Population.” Mr. King discussed the definition of a homeless person, stating that they are people who are staying in a shelter, living in a transitional housing, or staying in a place not meant for human habitation. The largest group of homeless in Kentucky is the single Caucasian male group from 50 to 59 years old. Mr. King then provided a profile of the homeless in Kentucky. He discussed several groups including those that are chronically homeless and those who are veterans. He also discussed the homeless with disabilities, stating that physical disability, mental health issues, and alcohol abuse are the largest disability groups. Mr. King also discussed income sources for Kentucky’s homeless. He then discussed Kentucky’s HEARTH program which provided financial assistance and housing relocation and stabilization services for the state’s homeless. He discussed who may be eligible for the program and how the program works. Finally, Mr. King discussed other homeless programs offered by the Kentucky Housing Corporation.
Mr. Perry Nutt, an economist with the Legislative Research Commission, provided the subcommittee with an update on the cigarette excise tax. The updated information stated that the 60 cent per pack tax is estimated to generate approximately $270 million in fiscal year 2010. At the present time, 97.5% of that amount will go to the General Fund, one percent will be distributed to the University of Kentucky’s Tobacco Research and Development Center to support research into alternative ways to use tobacco, and one and one-half percent will be placed into the Cancer Research Fund which is a matching fund to support research at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
Chairman Huff briefly outlined the recommendations put forth by the subcommittee during the May 2009 meeting and asked the members to reflect upon these in preparation for the following day’s meeting.
Chairman Huff called the meeting to recess until Friday, November 6, at 8:30 a.m. A motion to recess was made, seconded, and passed by voice vote.
The Subcommittee on Taxation of the Special Advisory Commission of Senior Citizens was reconvened on Friday, November 6, 2009, at 8:30 a.m., in Kentucky Room I of the Capital Plaza Hotel. James Huff, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: James Huff, Chair; Cluster Belcher, Douglas Cole, Bertha Daniels, Carole Dunn, Jerry Moser, Jack Niece, Elmer Olson, Kenneth Overhults, Dennis Shaw, Martha Shircliffe, Berton Sisk, Martha Smith, Donald Stethen, Roger Truitt, and Alban Wheeler.
Chairman Huff opened the floor for discussion of subcommittee issues and recommendations. Chairman Huff reminded the subcommittee of the May, 2009 recommendations.
A motion was made and seconded that the first recommendation of the taxation subcommittee be that the General Assembly enact legislation to provide tax credits to an individual caregiver who cares for a chronically ill person in that person’s home or in the caregiver’s home. The motion carried by voice vote.
A motion was made and seconded that the second recommendation be that if the General Assembly imposes a sales tax on services or increases the general sales and use tax rate, a percentage of the increased tax receipts be earmarked for senior services. The motion carried by voice vote.
Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 a.m.