Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Bill would bar counties from regulating water transfers, supporters say
Summary
Supporters told the Committee on Local Government that House Bill 24-33 would prevent counties from duplicating state water law and protect long-running municipal water projects; opponents warned the change would expand state authority and curb local home rule.
A Kansas House committee heard competing views on House Bill 24-33 on Jan. 28, a bill that would prevent counties from enacting regulations that conflict with state law governing the appropriation and transfer of water.
Supporters from Hays and Russell said the bill would provide legal clarity for long-running municipal projects and for water-right owners. "All water in the state of Kansas is owned by the state of Kansas," Representative Barb Wasser (District 111) told the Committee, arguing counties should not duplicate state regulation. Todd Luckman, an attorney for the Kansas Rural Water Association, said the bill protects interconnected water systems and long-term contracts that "do not necessarily respect county lines." Mayor Mason Reuter of Hays said Hays and Russell spent 11 years pursuing state regulatory approvals and that Edwards County later amended zoning in a way he said effectively duplicated state law and blocked the R9 Ranch transfer.
The bill, as summarized by the committee reviser, would add an exemption to the county home rule statute (cited in testimony as 19-101a) so that counties could not…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
