The Legislature continued to hold bill hearings and keep a fast pace during week three of the session.
According to the Kansas Livestock Association, their staff testified in several committees on issues important to KLA members.
Property tax – SB 35, a bill that would discontinue the 1.5 mill levy for the Kansas educational building fund and state institutions building fund, was passed by the full Senate 38-2. KLA supports the bill as it would provide broad-based property tax relief and ensure it applies equally across all classes of property.
HB 2011, a KLA-supported bill that would reduce the statewide mill levy for schools from 20 to 18.5 mills and automatically adjust future years’ mill levies to prevent increases in tax liability through valuation increases, passed the House Tax Committee. The committee amended the bill to also increase the exemption level from the statewide mill levy for a residence from $75,000 to $100,000.
Energy – KLA jointly testified with Kansas Farm Bureau in support of HB 2040 in the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee. HB 2040 would extend the timeline in which the state corporation commission shall make a final order on transmission line siting applications from 120 to 180 days. Extending this timeline could allow additional opportunities for public and landowner input, and promotes transparency and clarity in the process.
KLA testified in support of SB 61 in the Senate Judiciary Committee. SB 61 would require an electric public utility to pay a landowner’s attorney fees when a party appeals the award of court-appointed appraisers and the court returns an award greater than that of the appraisers. The bill encourages fairness in the process and allows landowners to appeal without the deterrent of legal fees if they have reason to believe the original amount was insufficient.
Water – KLA testified in support of SB 58 in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. SB 58 would modify the current multi-year flex account statute to move away from using historical water use to determine the base allocation for producers with irrigation water rights. KLA believes the legislation would help producers continue to make decisions that aid in water conservation.
Truck weights – KLA testified in support of SB 17 in the Senate Transportation Committee. SB 17 would exempt haulers of grain and other agricultural commodities from certain gross weight limitations during the normal harvest season while transporting up to 50 miles to market. The bill would allow an excess weight tolerance of 10% or 12.5% in certain situations, up to 90,000 lbs. KLA staff recommended an amendment to ensure the bill includes livestock in the exemption.