Overview | Capitol Review |Meet the Team
Our Goal
When laws are presented in the Kansas legislature, our goal is for the thought, “What impact does this have on agribusiness?” to go through 165 lawmakers’ minds as they sit in the Senate, House or in a committee. We strive – through a multitude of methods – to build strong, productive relationships with every one of our elected officials so when our industry calls on them for assistance, they know the importance of protecting Kansas agribusiness.
We Empower
We empower our membership to not only care about the lawmaking process and how it affects them, we provide them every tool necessary to establish personal and unique relationships with their respective legislators. That way, when a potentially troublesome piece of legislation is brought forward, our membership’s collective voice can be much more powerful than ours.
We Fight For
The advancement of the general well-being of the grain, feed, fertilizer, ag-chemical and seed industries through the support of pro-agribusiness legislation and candidates.
Common Sense Regulations
Our members operate in a highly-regulated industry, and we support the adoption and enforcement of common sense regulations. We also support returning regulatory authority to the state legislature, when appropriate, to restore the balance of power in our state government.
Infrastructure
To ensure that our industry is able to safely and consistently move agricultural inputs, we support adequately funding transportation infrastructure projects, and oppose the use of the State Highway Fund for other state expenses.
Biotechnology
The use of biotechnology in agriculture has proven to safely increase yields, provide a more bountiful and affordable food supply, and create new medicinal benefits for American consumers. Biotechnology also enables agricultural producers to enhance environmental stewardship. Because decisions relative to agricultural biotechnology should be based on sound science, and uniformly implemented throughout the state, we support reasonable and science based regulations on biotechnology.
Environmental Regulations and Remediation Standards
We support the use of risk analysis and cost-benefit analysis in environmental regulations and standards. Such analytical tools recognize that an environmental hazard is a circumstance with the potential to cause harm to people or the environment; and, risk is the probability of exposure to the hazard. Use of risk-based analysis enables informed decision making in the environmental regulation process.
State Water Plan
We support the Kansas State Water Plan Fund (SWPF), and the use of the fund to enhance water quality in Kansas. We support the use of the SWPF to support best management practice research projects focused on minimizing the impact of agricultural fertilizer and pesticide use on the Kansas environment. However, we do not support use of the SWPF to purchase and retire water rights. We also oppose any increase in fees on the industry for the SWPF.
Taxation
We oppose the establishment of any new taxes on the agricultural industry which would be a disincentive for economic development in the state, discourage new businesses from relocating here, or prohibit existing businesses from expanding. Specifically, we oppose the removal of sales tax exemptions on farm machinery or ag inputs; the imposition of any sales tax on agricultural services; and, increases in property taxes.
“I discovered that the representatives and senators pay attention to the view points of their constituents more than the lobbyist. I had a preconceived idea that my voice didn’t have very much weight with my representative. I now realize the importance of being actively engaged – our voices are heard and are listened to.”
John Ricker Jr.
KFSA
Our Policies
The Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association policy guide contains the policy and position statements of the association relating to state and federal legislative and regulatory issues. It is intended to serve as a general reference for association members, legislators and other state officials. The policy guide is reviewed and updated annually by the association’s legislative committee and approved by the board of directors.