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12 May

Posted at 08:47h in Advocacy, Industry News
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Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers announced a new linked deposit loan program to provide low-interest loans to Kansas businesses as well as to schools and businesses who experienced extraordinary natural gas bills from the February polar vortex weather event. The Extraordinary Utility Loan Program utilizes $20 million from the City Utility Loan Program to provide low-interest loans to wholesale natural gas customers, including businesses and school districts, who experienced higher utility bills resulting from the February winter weather. The program provides loans of no more than $500K with a term of up to three years. The State Treasurer’s Office began accepting participation...

12 May

Posted at 06:02h in Advocacy
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Legislative Veto Session Report The legislature met for additional legislative action last week during a time referred to as the Veto Session – historically meant to provide the legislature with a brief period to consider bills vetoed by the Governor. During this final week of action, lawmakers voted to override multiple vetoes of bills by Governor Laura Kelly. The legislature worked late into the evening on Friday, May 7, with the House adjourning at 1:40 a.m. on Saturday morning and the Senate adjourning at 2:15 a.m. The legislature passed a handful of new bills, including two multi-million-dollar COVID-response measures that...

27 Apr

Posted at 12:03h in Industry News
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Following an announcement by OSHA in February concerning its guidance on COVID-19, OSHA now plans to issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) on COVID-19. The agency has formally transmitted its draft Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. You can find the draft rule here: DASHBOARD - EO - REGINFO.GOV. After publication, OSHA could make enforcement of the standard a priority. The ETS could then be made permanent. AGENCY: DOL-OSHA TITLE: Subpart U – Emergency Temporary Standard – COVID-19 RIN: 1218-AD36 STAGE: Final Rule Status: Pending Review ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT: Yes LEGAL DEADLINE: Statutory  RECEIVED DATE: 04/26/2021 ...

26 Apr

Posted at 07:15h in Advocacy
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Legislative Session Interim Report Governor Laura Kelly has now signed multiple bills passed by the legislature during the regular session. The Governor has also teed up possible action by the House and Senate during the veto session beginning May 3 by vetoing key legislation focusing on taxes and social issues. Upon its return, the legislature will also focus on passage of an omnibus budget bill for the balance of the current fiscal year. This budget action comes on the heels of the state having just received positive news on the budget from the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group. This advisory council...

19 Apr

Posted at 11:47h in Industry News, Regulatory
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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is providing Kansans a 30-day public comment period on the draft 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan provides a 25-year statewide vision for the future of transportation in Kansas. Comments can be made until May 18 by clicking here.  The draft plan inventories the state's transportation system that includes highways, transit, rail, air and active transportation elements. It also identifies issues and trends that will influence the transportation system over the next 25 years such as technology advances, digital access, connections between health and transportation, the economy, demographics and the durability...

12 Apr

Posted at 06:12h in Advocacy
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Week Thirteen of the Kansas Legislative Session On Friday, April 9, the KansasLegislature adjourned for the last day of the 2021 regular session. The House and Senate will now take a three-week break before returning for a veto session on May 3 where they will consider bills vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly, work on the omnibus appropriations bill, and possibly take final action on other bills. During the last few days, the House and Senate worked long hours on a flurry of action on bills that will now be sent to the Governor for consideration. The legislature finished the regular session...

09 Apr

Posted at 14:48h in Industry News, Regulatory
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The Kansas legislature, a few hours prior to its three-week adjournment, passed Conference Committee Report on Senate Bill 86 which creates the Kansas Extraordinary Utility Costs Loan Deposit Program to assist businesses impacted by the polar vortex in February. The legislation goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration. The bill creates a low-interest loan program administered by the State Treasurer for Kansas businesses who were affected by the extreme cold in February of 2021. The loans are intended to assist businesses with paying off the natural gas bills over time. This is similar to the...

05 Apr

Posted at 07:12h in Advocacy
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Week Twelve of the Kansas Legislative Session With just one week left in the regular legislative session, the House and Senate debated and took action on many bills during this shortened three-day week. Bills of note included: action on the unemployment insurance fund and confirmation of the new Secretary of Labor; final passage of a multi-tiered income tax bill; advancement of a complex property tax bill and the Governor’s signature on a bill repealing the property tax lid; the signing into law of a bill providing limited immunity to businesses in regard to the pandemic; and, re-issuance by Governor Kelly of a...

01 Apr

Posted at 09:37h in Industry News
6 Likes

As you may recall during the 2020 Kansas legislative session, Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) helped ensure passage of the short line rail improvement fund into the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Plan resulting in a three-year $15 million program that provides 70 percent state money to 30 percent investment by the eligible entity for improvements. In October of 2020, 13 projects were awarded grants totaling $5 million. Four projects were awarded to short line railroads and nine projects were awarded to shippers. Effective July 1, 2021, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will have $5 million...

29 Mar

Posted at 07:50h in Advocacy
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Week 11 of the Kansas Legislative Session Several days of floor debate by both chambers and final action for most committees made for a full week in the legislature. Much time was spent debating various bills, including a bill allowing regulated energy providers to bond long-term debt; and House Resolution 5015 urging the United States Congress to reject the “For the People Act of 2021.” Next week will bring additional floor debate on bills before the first adjournment on Friday, April 9. The legislature will then take a three-week break before returning for a brief veto session and to work...

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