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Last week concluded Week 5 of the 2020 Kansas Legislature. Activities sped up again in the capitol building, especially in the House and Senate Tax Committees. Please find a summary of highlights of the week below. More Property Tax Bills Heard On Thursday, the House Committee on Taxation held a hearing on House Bill 2517, a bill which would allow a property owner to apply to the county commission for an abatement or credit of property taxes that are levied against an agricultural improvement property that is destroyed or substantially destroyed by...

Last week concluded Week 4 of the 2020 Kansas Legislature. Floor votes were taken in both the House and Senate on a constitutional amendment on abortion. The legislature had slow activity outside of that issue, as all activities on Wednesday were cancelled to allow people to attend a celebration for the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory. Please find a summary of some of highlights of the week below. Property Tax Focus This week saw additional hearings on property tax-related bills in the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation. SB 295, prohibiting...

While the third week of the 2020 Kansas Legislature was occupied with hearings on Medicaid expansion, a constitutional amendment on abortion, and the roll-out of the next Transportation Plan, an assortment of bills on other issues were also considered. A summary of highlights of the week is below. New Transportation Plan “FORWARD” Introduced On Wednesday, January 29th, in the House Appropriations Committee, Kansas Dept. of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz introduced the transportation plan for the next decade. The plan, referred to as "FORWARD" will permit amendments as special needs arise that require...

Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA), Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) and Kansas Cooperative Council (KCC) welcomed nearly 100 of their shared members to Topeka for the group’s annual joint Legislative Action Day on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The annual lunch and evening reception allows members of the agribusiness industry to see government in action and meet with elected officials. “The Legislative Action Day is one of the best programs offered by KGFA, KARA and the KCC,” Kanza Cooperative chief operations officer Nick Krehbiel said. “We believe that engaging with our political...

Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) and Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) welcomed the 23rd class of Tomorrow’s Agribusiness Leaders to Topeka on Jan. 21 for the program’s first of three sessions. The program, which began in 1998 and has graduated more than 200 members, is a jointly-sponsored initiative of KGFA and KARA designed to hone leadership traits as well as teach members of the associations about the state and federal legislative and regulatory process. This year’s class featured: Aaron Anderson (Nutrien Ag Solutions); Hillary Birtell (CoMark Equity Alliance); Kalen Cromwell (Farmers Cooperative Grain Association); Kiley DeDonder (WinField...

Yesterday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James unveiled a new, clear definition for “waters of the United States.” With the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, EPA and the Department of the Army (Army) are delivering on President Trump’s promise to finalize a revised definition for “waters of the United States” that protects the nation’s navigable waters from pollution and will result in economic growth across the country. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule identifies four clear categories of waters that are federally regulated...

Kansas Statehouse Insider Week One (Jan. 20 - 24) By: Kansas Grain and Feed Association Government Affairs Staff The second week of the 2020 Kansas Legislative Session kicked off on Tuesday, Jan. 21, following the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday. The week saw a flurry of bills introductions and hearings, while hearings on Medicaid expansion and a constitutional amendment on abortion consumed most of the oxygen in the capitol. A summary of some of those issues below. Tomorrow’s Agribusiness Leaders (TAL) Class Visits Capitol Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA)...

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The Kansas grain industry is grateful to the United States Senate for its overwhelming passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), 89-10, on Thursday. Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) worked with its national affiliate associations to provide outreach to Kansans whom USMCA’s passage would positively affect. Numerous grain handling organizations and producers contacted their elected officials in the House of Representatives and Senate advocating for the advancement of USMCA. “Advancement of the USMCA is a great win for Kansas agribusiness,” KGFA president and CEO Ron Seeber said. “Whether it be grain,...

All of Kansas Grain and Feed Association and Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association’s efforts leading up to this year’s show focused on showcasing agribusiness, while emphasizing that through all of the adversity facing the industry, agribusiness is not only changing, it’s thriving with the change. More than 140 exhibitors piled booths into the 95,000 square-foot Century II Convention Center, showing off the newest and best products on the market serving the grain, feed, fertilizer, chemical and seed industry.
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