Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has signed into law a bill that sets guidelines for future poultry farms to be located in the state.
Colyer signed the piece of legislation on March 20, less than one week after it was approved by the state’s House of Representatives by a 84-37 margin. The bill had was approved by the Senate, 29-10, on February 22.
Under Senate Bill 405, which was initially introduced in the Kansas Senate Ways and Means Committee, poultry barns in Kansas could not be closer than a quarter of a mile from an occupied home, excluding a homestead located on the same property with the chicken barns. The bill also would require farms with more than 125,000 broilers or 82,000 layers to obtain a federal permit.
The bill had the support of Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Livestock Association and faculty members from Kansas State University.
While Kansas is presently not heavily involved in poultry production, the need for laws pertaining to poultry production became more relevant in 2017, when Tyson Foods announced plans to build a new poultry complex that included a poultry plant, feed mill and hatchery in the community of Tonganoxie, in Leavenworth County. Following public opposition and withdrawn support from elected officials, Tyson Foods backed away from its plans to build in Tonganoxie and instead announced plans to build in Humboldt, Tennessee. However, the company stated that it would continue to consider other locations in Kansas for future poultry complexes.
Two of those elected officials from the Tonganoxie area that withdrew support following the voicing of public opposition were Reps. Jim Karleskint, R-Tonganoxie, and Willie Dove, R-Bonner Springs. They both voted against Senate Bill 405.
Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer | Photo courtesy of the State of Kansas
The 2018 legislative session is the first one for Colyer as the state’s governor. Colyer spent the previous seven years as lieutenant governor under then-Gov. Sam Brownback, who is now serving in an ambassador’s position in the Donald Trump administration.
