By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was in Hays Wednesday morning to ceremonially sign Senate Substitute for House Bill 2172 which establishes the state's new bipartisan water program task force.
The group is charged with evaluating the state's water program and its funding and will establish a water planning work group to submit reports to the legislature and the governor in 2026 and 2027.
“Kansas’ water challenges require us to act now to secure this essential, nonrenewable resource,” Gov. Kelly said. “Kansas’ agriculture industry, economy, and communities must have a secure water supply to thrive, now and into the future. This bill is a significant step forward in protecting our water quality and quantity for generations to come.”
The report will include recommendations on the water program’s long-term structure to address Kansas’ current and future water needs, the roles and responsibilities of the state, municipalities, and regional entities, and identify a dedicated funding source for the State Water Plan fund.
The co-chairs of the task force, Sen. Kenny Titus (R-Wamego) and Rep. Jim Minnix (R-Scott City) and several task force members were also on hand at the signing ceremony held at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. Also attending were representatives from other Kansas water authorities along with local state representatives Barb Wasinger (R-Hays) and Ken Rahjes (R-Agra) and city of Hays officials.
Sandy Jacobs, mayor, welcomed the crowd and talked about Hays' leadership in water conservation programs since the 1990s.
"Any time that we can show off the things we're doing in this community from a conservation standpoint and all our efforts in securing our water in Edwards County, it's important," Jacobs said after the ceremony. "If we can get the governor listening, we can get other people listening, too."
Sen. Titus talked about the 100-plus years of history in Kansas regarding its water issues.
“If we want to continue to make progress with our state’s water issues, we must develop clear priorities for investment and make sure we have the necessary accountability measures in place to create a sustainable water supply for future Kansans," Titus said.
“The livelihood of our state is dependent upon the actions we take now to ensure Kansas has the water it needs to prosper in the coming decades,” said Rep. Minnix. “The task force’s work will be crucial to support our farmers and ranchers, economy, and every corner of Kansas that must have access to a reliable, clean water supply.”
The task force includes 16 voting members spearheaded by a bipartisan group of legislators. Of those 13 voting members, six members were Kansans appointed by legislative leadership. The task force also includes a five-member water planning work group, which is tasked with reviewing and modernizing the State Water Resources Planning Act.
The governor also posed for pictures with some of the young artists who had their work selected in the 2025 water poster contest.
"I'm a product of those water conservation education programs," said Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder afterwards, "....because we understood the situation when it happened. The people who came before us knew what the issue was and decided to go after it and find real, reasonable solutions to tackle this crisis."