Latest news with #SenateBill45
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kelly signs bill creating long-term water resource planning, investment task force
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signs a bill complying with her request for the Legislature to create a special task force to put together a comprehensive water planning and investment task force modeled after the state's 10-year planning horizon for highway projects. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation Tuesday establishing a task force dedicated to developing a long-term investment strategy for Kansas water resources modeled after the state's rolling 10-year transportation program. The Democratic governor praised members of the Republican-led Legislature for approving House Bill 2172 to create a dedicated funding source for addressing the state's water challenges. The task force with 13 voting members must work to get a better handle on evaluation of water appropriations and state water laws. The task force will submit to Kelly and the Legislature a preliminary report in 2026 and a final report in 2027. 'Developing a comprehensive, long-term and sustainable water program is long overdue and a significant step forward in ensuring Kansas' water supply is preserved for generations to come,' Kelly said. 'I commend the Legislature for advancing my proposal and acting on this critical issue.' The bill passed the House on a vote of 116-8 and it received unanimous support in the Senate. In January, Kelly recommended the Legislature authorize the task force. The Kansas Water Authority and Kelly administration conducted 14 public meetings last year to gather input on water policy. The task force, with members from each of the state's five conservation regions, must work to evaluate major risks to Kansas' water quality and quantity, including issues of current and future economic growth. It must evaluate water infrastructure needs in every corner of the state. 'This is a critical step forward in addressing Kansas' water challenges by establishing a dedicated task force and work group to guide our state's water policy and funding decisions,' said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. 'This bill reflects a bipartisan legislative commitment to ensuring sustainable water resources for future generations, and I'm proud to see it move forward with the governor's support.' Kelly also signed Senate Bill 45, which created an alternative school district graduation rate calculation that excluded students who transferred to homeschools and nonaccredited private schools or who enrolled as a credit-deficient student. The governor signed Senate Bill 54 to require disclosure in court proceedings of third-party litigation funding agreements as well as House Bill 2118 requiring private entities that solicit a fee for filing or retrieving government documents to tell consumers the solicitations weren't made on behalf of a government agency. Kelly put a signature to House Bill 2030 to exclude dealers and manufacturers of nonmotorized trailers from the vehicle dealers licensing law. It wouldn't apply to dealers of semitrailers and travel trailers. Her signing of House Bill 2122 meant the annual license fee of electric and hybrid vehicles would increase. The fee for electric hybrid vehicles would go from $50 to $70, while the plug-in electric hybrid vehicle fee would rise from $50 to $100. The all-electric vehicle would be hit with a fee of $165, up from $100. She placed into law contents of House Bill 2016 to give active military members, their spouses and dependents stationed in Kansas but maintaining residency in another state to serve as poll workers for Kansas elections. In addition, the bill permitted county election officers to rely on obituaries posted online to remove a voter's name from registration books. The governor agreed to sign House Bill 2168 to extend the time required for filing of public land surveys from 30 days to 90 days to comply with industry standards. Meanwhile, Kelly signed House Bill 2242 to authorize a Kansas governor to accept requests for concurrent jurisdiction from the federal government.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Milwaukee, other Wisconsin cities that change zoning to attract housing could get state cash
Milwaukee and other Wisconsin communities seeking to attract affordable housing by changing their zoning codes could be rewarded with grants from state taxpayers. That's through a provision in Gov. Tony Evers' 2025-27 budget proposal. If approved by the Legislature, the $119 billion budget would include $20 million to encourage local governments "to adopt zoning changes that reduce barriers to the development of more affordable housing options." The Wisconsin Department of Administration would operate the program. Local governments, including tribal nations, could compete for grants by adopting one or more zoning policies. Those are reducing minimum lot sizes and widths; reducing setback requirements to allow greater use of lots; increasing allowed lot coverages to match historic patterns; adopting a traditional neighborhood development ordinance, and allowing accessory dwelling units. That's according to the budget legislation, Senate Bill 45. Evers administration representatives didn't immediately respond to the Journal Sentinel's request for more information about the zoning change program. Some of its provisions are similar to what Mayor Cavalier Johnson's administration is recommending through the Department of City Development's stalled Growing MKE proposal. City officials are pleased to see "budget initiatives that the Department of City Development has already begun to advance through our Growing MKE plan," said Madison Goldbeck, department marketing and communications officer. The city supports Evers' proposals and will work with the Legislature "to advance initiatives that provide more affordable housing options for our community," Goldbeck said, in a statement. Growing MKE needs Common Council approval. The plan's suggested zoning changes — requiring separate council approval — would lead to greater density in a city where 40% of the land is restricted to single-family homes. Growing MKE includes encouraging development of accessory dwelling units. Those are houses or apartments that share the building lot of a larger, primary home. Such ADUs are generally smaller and more affordable than traditional single-family homes. Growing MKE supporters say increased density would include such "neighborhood scale" housing as duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, cottage courts and four-unit apartment buildings. That would encourage more housing construction, including affordable units, according to the plan's supporters. Opponents believe Growing MKE would encourage absentee investor landlords to increase their ownership of central city housing — driving up rents. That opposition led to more public meetings to explain Growing MKE and seek input. It has yet to return to the Plan Commission before undergoing council review. The state budget proposal from Evers, a Democrat, will undergo review by a Legislature where both chambers are controlled by Republicans. Evers' budget would spend too much and is not realistic, according to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@ and followed on Instagram, Bluesky, X and article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin cities could get state cash with zoning changes for housing
