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22 Apr

Posted at 06:55h in Industry News
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Highlighted by hours of networking, valuable speakers and a windy afternoon on the golf course, Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) celebrated its 128th annual meeting April 15 – 16, 2024 in Wichita. The annual event attracted nearly 150 of KGFA’s active capacity and associate members to learn from agribusiness economist Shawn Hackett and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “We were fortunate to book such timely, knowledgeable speakers to address our members this year,” KGFA President and CEO Ron Seeber said. “Shawn Hackett did a wonderful job of updating us on the current issues facing agriculture domestically and...

10 Apr

Posted at 05:56h in Advocacy
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The legislature worked late into the night on Friday, April 5, adjourning around 3:15 a.m., on Saturday morning to wrap up the regular legislative session for 2024. A few items, however, were referred to conference committee where additional action may be taken when legislators return on April 29 for a brief, “Veto Session,” – a time when legislators generally consider taking action to override bills vetoed by the governor. There was much activity this week, with the legislature taking final action on dozens of bills. Of note, the legislature passed a budget bill for the next few years, school funding...

03 Apr

Posted at 07:28h in Regulatory
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On Tuesday, April 2, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its rule to generally require a second crewmember on all trains. In finalizing this rule, FRA reviewed and considered over 13,500 written comments received during the 146-day comment period—in addition to the testimony from a one-day public hearing.  “Common sense tells us that large freight trains, some of which can be over three miles long, should have at least two crew members on board - and now there’s a federal regulation in place to ensure trains are safely staffed,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This rule requiring safe train crew sizes...

29 Mar

Posted at 16:49h in Advocacy
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With Friday, March 28 being the last day for activity on most bills, the 2024 Kansas legislature has only one week of regular session remaining. The Legislature is in recess over the Easter weekend and will reconvene on Monday, April 1 for one final week of action. After-which, the Legislature will break until April 29 when they will reconvene to consider any bills vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly. Leadership in both the House and Senate have stated their intention for final adjournment on April 30. Next week, the Legislature will focus on finalizing the budget, major tax bills, and conferencing...

26 Mar

Posted at 14:32h in Industry News
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Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) has been made aware of ag retailers in Kansas, and in other states, that have received subpoenas related to multi-district federal litigation filed by plaintiffs (Paraquat Products Liability Litigation). As we understand, these subpoenas generally request information on paraquat use, purchases, and certification of the restricted use pesticide. The primary case has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The Court set a date for information requests to be issued by March 11, 2024.  While KGFA is not able to provide legal advice on how to respond to the...

22 Mar

Posted at 16:18h in Advocacy
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The 2024 Kansas legislative session is quickly winding down. Friday, March 22 is the last day for most committees to meet and consider bills this session. On Monday, March 25, the House and Senate will begin marathon sessions of floor debate on various bills, punctuated with joint conference committees between the chambers to discuss final language on specific bills. As this year is the second year of our state’s two-year legislative biennium, any bill which does not become law this year will no longer be a live bill. Governor Laura Kelly’s core focus this session has been on expanding Medicaid...

15 Mar

Posted at 15:03h in Advocacy
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This week, the Kansas Senate debated and passed, on a vote of 24-15, a $25 billion budget bill for the upcoming fiscal year. Notably, both the House and Senate budget bills would provide about $80 million to increase Medicaid outpatient reimbursement rates. Additionally, this week, the Senate debated and passed numerous tax relief bills, including a new comprehensive tax bill. The large tax bill would reduce personal income taxes by creating a single rate for individual income taxes, exempting Social Security from income tax, significantly increasing the personal exemption amount, and increasing the standard deduction for single filers. The bill...

14 Mar

Posted at 14:38h in Advocacy, Industry News
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing an update on existing stocks provisions for three chlorpyrifos pesticide products made by the company Adama – Pyrinex Chlorpyrifos Insecticide (EPA Reg. No. 11678-58), Chlorpyrifos 4E AG (alternate brand name Quali-Pro Chlorpyrifos 4E) (EPA Reg. No. 66222-19), and Vulcan (EPA Reg. No. 66222-223). After the dates listed below, all respective sale, distribution, and use of existing stocks is prohibited, except for sale and distribution for export and for proper disposal. In a final rule issued in August 2021, EPA revoked all tolerances for chlorpyrifos, which establish an amount...

08 Mar

Posted at 15:44h in Advocacy
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During the ninth week of the 2024 legislative session, Senate Republicans introduced a new comprehensive tax bill and have already set it for hearing next week. Likewise, House leadership is discussing another attempt at comprehensive tax legislation, and it looks like they might use Governor Laura Kelly’s tax bill as the vehicle. The extent of any such tax package is likely to be scaled back a bit as this week it was announced that the state had missed its revenue projections for the fifth consecutive month. Also, this week, the Senate finished committee work on its version of the...

01 Mar

Posted at 17:48h in Advocacy
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Following Turnaround Week in the Kansas legislature, the second half of the legislative session began with a slow start. Last week, the Republican tax cut plandied when Governor Laura Kelly vetoed it and the House failed to override the veto. In similar fashion, the governor's tax cut proposal is effectively dead, as the Senate gutted its version of the bill and House Republicans redirected the House version to a committee that never meets. Next steps toward any large tax relief package this session are uncertain at best, which may impact the forward progress of other unrelated tax bills....

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