By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly gave the green light to creation of distinctive license plates celebrating National Future Farmers of America and the Route 66 Association of Kansas in addition to introduction of an edgy, sleek and minimalist blackout plate for discriminating motorists.
Sales of the FFA and Route 66 plates, like other nonprofit organizations imprinted on Kansas license plates, directly benefit the respective foundations. Benefactor of the blackout-style plate tied to a special $50 fee would be the Kansas Department of Revenue. The agency said it would earmark fee revenue from blackout plates, which have white lettering on a dark background, to pay costs associated with replacing outdated plates.
“Increasing the options available for distinctive license plates is a simple way to allow Kansans to show off their interests and values on the road,” said Sen. Ethan Corson, a Democrat from Johnson County.
Rep. Shannon Francis, a Republican from Liberal in southwest Kansas, said expansion of the state’s collection of specialty license plates was a chance for Kansans to express support for organizations they cherished. He said the new batch was no exception.
“One plate in this bill supports the Future Farmers of America, an organization that has profoundly impacted generations of Kansans,” Francis said. “FFA plays a crucial role in nurturing leadership skills among youth and preparing them for careers in agricultural science, business and technology.”
On Wednesday, Kelly said enactment of House Bill 2201 would also streamline the process of issuing Kansas license plates. The bill also modified documentation requirements for military license plate applications.
Meanwhile, Kelly signed House Bill 2169 to clarify state law on remediation of pesticide pollution on commercial property in Johnson County. The legislation resulted from a request from a representative of Astra Enterprise Park, which is home to Panasonic’s $4 billion advance battery production facility in De Soto.
The measure would limit a state agency’s ability to issue soil, groundwater or surface water cleanup orders to owners of non-residential property previously owned by the U.S. Army in Johnson County. The restriction would apply to land where pesticide products were distributed near buildings on Army property prior to 2005. An ammunition plant was in operation at the site for decades, but it is being developed as a large business park.
However, the bill says the property owner would be responsible for soil and water remediation if the property was converted to residential use or for construction of a child-care facility.
In the House, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment testified the bill would restrict the agency from investigating contaminants, lead to inconsistent enforcement standards and could prompt use of the land for residential purposes without restrictions.
Kelly also signed House Bill 2255 to expand acreage of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. The objective was to improve water conservation in the Upper Arkansas River corridor from Hamilton County to Rice County. State-enrolled CREP acres would expand to 60,000 acres from the current 40,000 maximum.
Under the voluntary program, a producer could receive rental payments and other incentives to retire state water rights on enrolled acres. The aggregate total number of acres in all CREPs in a single Kansas county couldn’t exceed 20% of the statewide acreage cap.
