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Committee hears bill to extend tax credit for Friends of Cedar Crest; Eisenhower Foundation seeks inclusion
Summary
House Bill 2387 would extend a tax credit for contributions to the Friends of Cedar Crest Association for 10 years; the Department of Revenue estimated a $350,000 decrease in state general fund revenue in fiscal year 2027. Supporters also asked the committee to add the Eisenhower Foundation to the credit.
The Committee on Taxation heard House Bill 2387, which would extend an existing tax credit for contributions to the Friends of Cedar Crest Association. Under current law the credit is slated to expire beginning with the 2026 tax year; the bill would extend the credit for an additional 10 years.
The Department of Revenue provided a fiscal note estimating the bill would decrease state general fund revenue by approximately $350,000 in fiscal year 2027. Department staff told the committee the credit program has not hit its statutory cap in recent years and that actual utilization has been lower than the maximum available.
Jessica Lucas, president of the Friends of Cedar Crest Association, testified in support. She described the organization's role in managing furnishings and programming for the governor's residence and said donor activity has been increasing: she said the Friends’ eligible donations totaled roughly $93,000 in the most recent tax year and that the group’s account balance exceeded $200,000. Lucas asked that the committee extend the credit so donors can be informed about the program’s availability.
Meredith Schleichter, executive director of the Eisenhower Foundation, also testified in support and asked that the bill be amended to include the Eisenhower Foundation among eligible recipients. Schleichter said the Eisenhower Foundation has used the credits to expand educational programming and reported that the foundation had been issued credit authority up to 350,000 credits per year and had generated $875,000 in credits through 2024 (an average roughly in the $150,000–$200,000 range per year).
Committee members asked for more detail on balances, budgets, and usage rates. A department official said credits had not reached their cap in recent years and estimated current annual utilization in the “probably $50,000 to $100,000” range for Friends of Cedar Crest. No objections were recorded; the hearing closed with testimony and no committee action recorded during this session.
