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20 Feb

Posted at 13:53h in Industry News, Regulatory
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On Feb. 20, 2024, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a safety advisory to provide notice of the possibility of catastrophic failure of certain hazardous materials packages, commonly known as "nurse tanks." See Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) §173.315(m). The current Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171-180) do not require periodic inspection and testing of nurse tanks that have attached and legible American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) identification plates and that meet the other requirements in 49...

16 Feb

Posted at 14:35h in Advocacy
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The Legislature, again this week, failed to take up an override vote on Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of the tax bill House Bill 2284. That vote to override will need to come by the end of next week or the governor’s veto of the bill will be sustained. Committees this week approved and advanced bills before multiple days of floor debate begin next week as we near the legislative ‘turnaround’. In both chambers, various bills have now been introduced that would limit foreign investment in real property in the state. As...

09 Feb

Posted at 17:31h in Advocacy
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The Republican-majority legislature failed, this week, to take up an override vote on Governor Kelly’s veto of the tax bill, House Bill 2284. That vote is expected to come early next week. Whether, or in what form, tax relief is passed this year is still an unanswered question. This week, committees continued hearings on unemployment insurance legislation, workers compensation max benefits, various tax bills, and other issues. One issue gaining momentum in Kansas, and other states, is the issue of limiting foreign investment in real property in the state. A handful...

02 Feb

Posted at 17:20h in Advocacy
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Following Governor Laura Kelly’s swift veto of the Republican tax bill, House Bill 2284, legislative leadership worked this week to whip together sufficient votes for an override effort which will require a 2/3 supermajority vote in both the House and the Senate. The bill includes many provisions, but the key element distinguishing the bill from Governor Kelly’s tax plan is the inclusion of a single rate income tax at 5.25 percent (currently two rates exist). This provision was the cause of the governor’s veto. The bill would cost the state...

02 Feb

Posted at 14:01h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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On Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an update on the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on food. EPA has issued a technical correction in the Federal Register reflecting the Eighth Circuit Court's decision to vacate EPA's 2021 rule revoking chlorpyrifos tolerances. Since the tolerances are currently in effect, growers can now use currently registered chlorpyrifos products on all crops with reinstated tolerances, consistent with directions for use on those product labels. However, such uses may be subject to restrictions by individual states. Any existing final...

26 Jan

Posted at 14:15h in Advocacy
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This week, the Kansas legislature sent its tax bill, House Bill 2284, to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration, who on Friday afternoon, vetoed the legislation. The bill proposed a single income tax rate at 5.25 percent (rather than the current two rates), along with exemptions on the first $6,150.00 in income for individuals and $12,300.00 for couples. Additionally, it would have increased the standard deduction, provided residential property tax relief, and created a 0 percent sales tax rate on food beginning in April. The bill would have cost the state...

19 Jan

Posted at 17:43h in Advocacy
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This week, while many new bills were being introduced, the Kansas legislature’s main focus was on assembling a tax bill to send to Governor Laura Kelly. On Thursday, lawmakers passed Conference Committee Report on House Bill 2284 which includes a single (5.25 percent) income tax rate on individuals, an increase to the standard deduction, residential property tax relief and a 0 percent sales tax rate on food beginning in April of this year. The bill, which would cost the state $550 million ($1.6 billion over the first three years), is likely to...

12 Jan

Posted at 13:51h in Advocacy
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The 2024 Kansas legislative session began on January 8, and we were honored to be at the capitol throughout the week to greet new members and welcome back returning legislators on your behalf. This year marks the second year of our legislative biennium, meaning all bills introduced in 2023 will still be alive and actionable, in addition to any new bills introduced this year. Republicans still hold a supermajority in the House under Speaker Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita) and in the Senate under Senate President Ty Masterson (R-Andover). A handful of Republican...

10 Jan

Posted at 09:37h in Advocacy, Industry News, Regulatory
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Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association co-signed a letter to the United States Dept. of Agriculture in support of five proposed exemptions to genetic modifications in plants. USDA's proposal would exempt additional plant varieties indistinguishable from varieties developed using conventional breeding, and thus do not warrant continued oversight under 7 C.F.R. Part 340. The letter addresses: Benefits of gene editing for food, agriculture and the environment; General support and feedback on the proposed exemptions; As well as additional considerations. The letter states, in part, "Importantly, these exemptions would allow some in the U.S. agricultural...

04 Jan

Posted at 08:16h in Industry News
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Beginning Jan. 09, 2024 in Topeka, Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association (KARA) is hosting the first of its six annual NH3 safety workshops. The association encourages anyone who is a frequent user or distributor of anhydrous ammonia, as well as first responders, to attend and receive up-to-date training on safe practices concerning NH3. “As an association, we always look to create training programs emphasizing safety for our membership and the public in general,” KARA president and CEO Ron Seeber said. “Although NH3 is a common input, it still poses hazards if it’s...

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