January 31, 2025
Kansas’ 164th Birthday
TOPEKA — The state celebrated its 164th birthday at the Capitol on Wednesday, which was full of festivities to honor such a momentous event.
In addition to such celebrations, 71 new bills were introduced on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives, in this third week of session. Topics of said legislation ranged from tax credits to fair regulations. Below I have detailed seven bills from that long list of legislation.
First is House Concurrent Resolution 5007, introduced on Monday. This legislation, which is separate from regular house bills, would amend the Kansas Constitution to lower the age to possess firearms from 18 years to 16.
Second was House Bill 2095. This bill would create a licensing structure for water pump installers in the state, establish new requirements for well testing with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for water well contractors, and enable both water pump installers and water well contractors to obtain their licenses online.
Third is House Bill 2102. This bill enables students of military families to enroll in school districts before they physically reside there, a boon for military families moving into the state.
Fourth is House Bill 2105, this bill would designate a portion of US highway 77 and bridge 82-14-6.88 in Clay County as the Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Memorial Highway and Bridge.
Fifth is House Bill 2108. This legislation would create a new code of conduct and agriculture mitigation protocols for the development , construction, operation, and decommission of large energy facilities in Kansas, ranging from transmission lines to solar farms.
The bill would also establish rules regarding civil penalties for violation of the forementioned protocols, one example being potential daily fines—not in excess of $10,000.
Sixth is House Bill 2111, which alters regulations for the conservation reserve enhancement program (CREP). The bill increases the acreage cap to 60,000 acres, removes limitations on eligible acres based on expired federal contract, allows CREP contracts for dryland farming or limited irrigation for water quantity goals, and more.
Seventh, and last, is House Bill 2147. This bill would create discount rates for state residents over the age of 65 for combination hunting and fishing passes with the Department of Wildlife and Parks, remove expiration dates for Kansas kids’ lifetime combination hunting and fishing licenses, and require the cost of said passes and licenses to not exceed the cost of any federal counterpart.
House Bill 2148
Building from the momentum of the past two weeks I introduced House Bill 2148 onto the House floor on the birthday of our great state, Wednesday, January 29.
This legislation prevents the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) from authorizing line siting permits to any electric public utility for land within a newly designated National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) under the Federal Power Act in Kansas. The bill also prohibits public electric utilities from using eminent domain for land in said zones as well.
It is my intent with this legislation to secure the property and peace of mind for not only my constituents but all Kansas in our wonderful state.
Committee Happenings
House Appropriations (HAPP) mostly heard and worked budgets this week, with one exception on Friday.
On Monday HAPP heard and worked on the budgets of the Abstracter’s Board of Examiners, Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, Board of Technical Professions, Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, Kansas Lottery, and the Kansas Board of Nursing.
Tuesday saw the committee hear and work budgets for the Citizen’s Utility Ratepayer Board, Healthcare Stabilization Fund, Kansas Corporation Commission, Legislative Research Department, State Hospitals for Larned and Osawatomie, Legislative Coordinating Council, Legislative Division of Post Audit, the Legislature itself, and the Revisors of Statute.
For Wednesday House Appropriations heard and worked the budgets of the Board of Regents, the Department of Credit Unions, Kansas’s Schools for the Blind and the Deaf, Office of the State Bank Commissioner, and the State Library. On Thursday HAPP heard and worked the budgets of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Department of Labor, Kansas Insurance Department, Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, Kansas University, and the Kansas University Medical Center.
For Friday the committee held an informational hearing regarding a proposal for a BioNexus from the KC BioHub. We also continued the discussions with budgets such as the State Fire Marshal and the Office of the Secretary of State.
Contact Information
Anytime that you would like to participate and listen to the developments of committee hearings or discussion on the House floor, you can tune in by video or audio at www.kslegislature.org.
As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me 785-296-7672, follow on twitter at @waymaster4house, or email me at [email protected].
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.