Kansas Land and Military Installation Protection Act, SB 9, prohibits foreign adversaries from purchasing property within 100 miles of a military installation and any foreign adversary ownership of non-residential real property purchased prior to July 1, 2025, will have to register with the Attorney General’s office. The bill would also require Kansas government agencies to purchase American-made or allied-made drones or drone technology. The bill didn’t go as far as some of us would like, but it is much better than not doing anything to block China and others from infiltrating Kansas even more. SB 9 passed the Senate 38 to 1. I voted Yes. The Governor signed it into law.
Conservation Districts funding caps will be doubled in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and the States’s matching funding will also double, limited to $50,000 per district because SB 39 became law. Conservation districts were established in 1937 after the Dust Bowl. The districts are local units of government within a county for conservation of soil, water, and other natural resources. County commissioners may levy a property tax to provide additional funding for the operation of a conservation district. This did not change in SB 39. The bill passed the Senate unanimously.
Web-based Insurance Verification will be allowed as CCR 42 will be law. There were several provisions in CCR 42, but the main provision was establishing the Kansas Real Time Motor Vehicle Insurance Verification Act, putting insurance data in an online centralized system allowing for easy verification of insurance. I understand the convenience of a web-based centralized system and I also understand the vulnerabilities of this type of system. Do you remember what happened last year with the Kansas Judicial centralized system? It was hacked and down for several weeks, so I did not support CCR 42. However, it passed because convenience was the priority, not data security. It passed 39 to 1.
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission name will be changed to the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission. We need to be strengthening the Commission’s role, not weakening it. HB 2206 passed the Senate 32 to 8, and the Governor signed it into law. I voted no.
Special Elections will only be held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March, or on the same day as a general, or primary election (November or August) as HB 2022 is now law. Currently, special elections and mail ballot elections (such as for school bonds or special sales taxes) can occur at any time, creating waste for the taxpayer and causing confusion for voters. HB 2022 makes it simple and will save counties hundreds of thousands of dollars in special elections. During testimony, we heard Sedgewick County spent over $136,000 on one special election. I supported this legislation. It passed the Senate 29 to 11 and was signed into law.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn