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The 13% flat tax was put into effect in an attempt to discourage tax evaders and boost the state’s revenue.

A flat tax increase might be welcomed by FanDuel and DraftKings, the largest betting sites, which are better equipped than smaller rivals to afford the impact — “though they would never say that out loud,” Grove said.

“While I am neutral on the flat tax, I cannot continue down this path to failure,” said Republican Rep. Randy Garber, a northeast Kansas conservative, explaining his no vote.

In 2022, Iowa moved to a flat tax, initially set at 4.4% but scheduled to drop eventually to 3.9%.

A tax cut approved by legislators in 2021 and signed into law by Hobbs’ Republican predecessor, Gov. Doug Ducey, replaced the state’s graduated income tax with a flat tax that took full effect last year.