By MALLORY COPELAND
CEP Legislative Intern

During the spring semester I served as CEP’s legislative intern. I watched several bills debated in committee, some that became laws, and some that fell a bit short in votes.

The 2017 regular session of the Kansas Legislature left a lot to be desired. As you can imagine, environmental issues were not at the top of the agenda. Although several environmental bills were brought to committee, many were put on the back burner as larger issues like tax reform and healthcare dominated several months worth of congressional debate.

However, there were environmental bills passed and signed into law, including:

SB 46 – Managing Water Rights and Impairment Problems through Notice and Administrative Procedure

This bill primarily requires water rights holders to seek other administrative means in the event of impairment, instead of first seeking court action. This bill also created management guidelines for a “Water Conservation Area” where users choose to reduce water usage.

This bill was discussed at WEALTH Day and CEP is happy to support its passage.

HB 2140 – Adopts the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact to promote prevention /control of Wild Fires

The bill allows the governor to work with surrounding states on fighting wildfires.

HB 2312 – Establishes Administrative Appeals Process for Certain Fertilizer and Water Orders

This bill requires a notice and potential hearing before taking action on fertilizer orders, including, but not limited to: custom blending of fertilizers, ammonium nitrate dealers, and fertilizer brand registration. This bill also codifies current rules and regulations regarding fertilizers.

While the Kansas legislature is not focused on environmental policy, there’s a good likelihood that after the budget, education, and healthcare issues get taken care of, future legislative sessions will be more attuned to hearing and fixing environmental problems.