Kentucky needs a constitutional protection against essential needs taxation | Opinion

Kentucky families shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table and filling a life-saving prescription. Yet without constitutional protection, future legislatures could tax this and other basic necessities to offset revenue losses. That’s why my House Bill 729, which would let voters ban taxes on groceries, prescription drugs, and utilities, is crucial for protecting Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens.

We already see how sales tax burdens essential needs. Kentuckians pay 6% sales tax on everyday necessities like over-the-counter medicines, feminine hygiene products, diapers, and toilet paper. Parents must pay tax on children’s clothing, including winter coats and school uniforms. Even basic home maintenance items like cleaning supplies, light bulbs, and smoke detectors – all critical for safe, healthy living – carry this tax burden. Auto repairs, which many Kentuckians depend on to maintain vehicles for work, are also taxed.

For the farmers of Kentucky, HB 729 would prevent sales tax on any farm-utilities as well. With the devastating natural disasters that have hurt our farmers and caused $19.5 million in losses per year, Kentucky needs to show that we care, and that we are here for them. Lightening the load for farmers by protecting them from sales tax on utilities is a great first step. It would help farmers continue to sustain their livelihood, without being burdened by taxes on their operational needs.

The stakes are clear: the average Kentucky family spent 2.14% of their income on groceries in 2024. Keep in mind that grocery prices are already up 0.5% from December to January. Meanwhile, seniors often dedicate a considerable portion of their fixed incomes to prescription medications, sometimes choosing not to buy what they need because of the high costs. For the 16.6% of Kentuckians living below the poverty line, every dollar counts. Adding taxes to groceries, prescriptions, and utilities would further strain families already paying taxes on other basic needs and grappling with inflation, which has driven grocery prices up at least 20% since 2021.

While I supported recent income tax reductions, I also said during debate that we must be strategic about Kentucky’s fiscal future. If— and likely when — the legislature explores new revenue sources to replace income tax proceeds, some have suggested expanding the sales tax base. But there’s a world of difference between taxing luxury items and burdening families with taxes on basic survival needs. A family can postpone buying a new car or skip a vacation — they can’t stop buying insulin or paying their heating bill, just as they can’t avoid buying currently taxed items like bandages, soap, or school supplies.

Consider our neighbors: Tennessee may have no income tax, but it imposes a hefty 4% to 6.75% tax on groceries, forcing low-income families to spend precious dollars just to feed their children. Similarly, Mississippi lowered the state income tax rate, but to offset the revenue losses, it now taxes essential food items at a whopping 7% tax rate — the highest essential grocery tax in the United States.

We can chart a better course. A number of states have already eliminated taxes on groceries (and more are currently considering legislation to do the same), creating a proven model for protecting essential needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

For Kentucky, HB 729 puts this critical decision where it belongs – in the hands of voters. The amendment would create a permanent firewall around life’s necessities, ensuring that future budget debates never put basic survival on the bargaining table. This isn’t just sound policy – it’s a moral imperative that transcends partisan politics.

For the grandmother rationing her blood pressure medication, the single parent stretching every grocery dollar, the fixed-income family dreading their winter heating bills, and the farmer who is trying to make ends meet after his or her farm has flooded, this amendment offers peace of mind. It declares that in Kentucky, we don’t balance our books on the backs of those who can least afford it.

Let’s give Kentuckians the chance to enshrine this protection in our constitution. Some choices are too important to leave to legislative whim, and protecting access to life’s essentials is one of them. Contact your legislators today and urge them to support HB 729. Together, we can ensure Kentucky remains a place where everyone can afford to live, eat, and stay healthy.

Rep. Adrielle Camuel represents House District 93 in Fayette County.