“Build Kansas” The Legislatures Best Kept Secret

“Build Kansas” The Legislatures Best Kept Secret

Nov 5, 2024 | Federal Over Reach, Kansas Farms & Land Ownership News, KCC, Legislation to Pay Attention To, Transparency, Uncategorized

If “Build Kansas” sounds unfamiliar to legislators, that could explain why  the $50 Million Dollar  Special Revenue Fund has been out of sight of the public eye.  Created by a Senate Bill 25 in 2023, “Build Kansas” is Funded by State General Funds (Taxpayer Dollars) at $50 Million a year till 2027 with a $5 Million administrative fee included.   To add to the non-transparency of this Special Revenue Fund, the State Account that disperses the funds is located at the State of Kansas Treasures Office under the same Fund that previous State Treasures toured the state returning small sums of money back to Kansans.  Check out the unclaimed property link below: kansascash.ks.gov/build_kansas

Same Agencies Are Encouraging Eminent Domain

Examples of Jobs given in the Presentation of August 30, 2023 Presentation were Carbon Capture, Charging Stations, Water, Energy, Cyber Security.  All selected by Agencies Listed (Full Explanation in Video))

The August 30th, 2023 Presentation outlined that the Legislators sitting on the Advisory Committee were Advisory Only and not in a capacity to rejected any Project and that the Agencies were in charge of the Driving.

” If a Project were deemed attractive and the Price Tag was Higher than $50 Million, the Advisory Committee could ask the State Finance Council to authorize monies  like an Advance against  future monies going to Build Kansas.”  according to Calvin Reed, Secretary of Transportation & Coordinator of the HUB Sub Cabinet

Uniquely, the State is divided into Regions by the Dept. of Commerce Economic Development Project Managers and works closely with the Associations of Counties, County Economic Developers, County Managers, as a Steering Committee, identifying projects needed by the community.   Elected Legislators on the Advisory Council are:

  • Senator Ty Masterson, Vice Chair, Senate President Appointee
  • Senator JR Claeys, Senate President Appointee
  • Senator Usha Reddi, Senate Minority Leader Appointee
  • Senator Tim Shallenburger, Senate President Appointee
  • Representative Shannon Francis, Speaker of the House Appointee
  • Representative Henry Helgerson, House Minority Leader Appointee
  • Representative Kyle Hoffman, Speaker of the House Appointee
  • Representative Lindsay Vaughn, Governor Appointee

The irony of a using Taxpayers money from the State General Fund is for over two years Kansas Property Owners have battled the expansion of  Industrial Solar, Wind, Battery, and Transmission on the Local County Front, in Capital hearing Rooms, and County Commission Meetings, pushing back against the aggressive Energy Companies that have the ability to use eminent domain.  Taxpayers will likely balk at the idea that tax money collected from the ever increasing property taxes would be considered as Economic Development.  Flooding local economies with projects poised to enhance “Land Grabbing” by Government will be met with resistance.

Transparency of Federal Funds coming through a Back Door and no Accountability in sight, the last question the Advisory Council should ask should be why the use of the states professional staff who write Legislation and Revise Statutes. Is it by design or is that needed to skirt the hurdles that need cleared?

Click Here to view organizations like MARC, Projects funding Private Rail, and the recent interest in State Water Discussions:

Staff receives $5 Million in Funding to Administer:

  • Nancy Fontaine, Committee Assistant
  • Chardae Caine, Legislative Research
  • Dylan Dear, Legislative Research
  • Chris Waggoner, Office of Revisor of Statutes
  • Jill Wolters, Office of Revisor of Statutes

 

Virginia Macha – Resident of Allen County, KS

 

 

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5-MILE-WIDE CORRIDOR CREATES DIVISION LINE ACROSS KANSAS

5-MILE-WIDE CORRIDOR CREATES DIVISION LINE ACROSS KANSAS

Aug 12, 2024 | Federal Over Reach, Kansas Farms & Land Ownership News, Property Tax

Invenergy’s Grain Belt Express Rolls Over Landowners

Joe Biden Interjects “Fast 41” Status on Transmission Line

The Biden administration is looking to speed up the permitting of Invenergy’s $7 billion Grain Belt Express Electric transmission line by giving it a special designation reserved for large complex infrastructure projects.

With the designation of FAST-41, the project’s first phase will be capable of delivering up to 2,500 MW of renewable energy from southwest Kansas to northeastern Missouri.  These projects will receive a comprehensive and integrated federal permitting timetable.  So, how did the Grain Belt Express Project find it way from the KCC’s graveyard of dead projects to a “Fast-41” designation?

From Moth Balls To Full Steam Ahead 

The 2012 transmission project, the Grain Belt Clean Line Express, never gained approval for a Transmission Siting by the Kansas Corporation Commission during 8 years of hearings.  Grain Belt Clean Line Express, LLC exhausted the financial backing used to keep the project alive and in 2018 pulled the plug on the project.  During the four public hearings required by the Kansas Statute, the transmission project faced opposition from thousands of Kansas landowners. Over 100 public meetings, 11,500 attendees, 56 sworn statements, 2600 written comments, 26 Newspaper opinions, and lawsuits by Counties, the Grain Belt Clean Line Express raised the white flag of surrender.

In 2019 Application for Acquisition by Invenergy Transmission LLC to purchase the Grain Belt Express Clean Line LLC, changing the name to Grain Belt Express with a new sunset of 11-23-2023.  Designation of a FAST-41 Project, Financing of the Grain Belt will fall on taxpayer funding and assurance from the federal authorities the Transmission Line will be built in the name of National Security of the Electrical Grid.   

FERC Unveils 2nd Project-          5-Mile Wide NIETC Corridor

Landowners had just discovered that the Grain Belt Line was being expedited only to find out about another project heading to Kansas. Property owners in Kansas have once again found themselves at a disadvantage without notice from the Kansas Corporation Commission.  The Midwest Plains Project is a 580-mile 5-mile-wide Corridor that will cross Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois for a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC).   Again, federal fast-tracking past any public input gave little time for the facts to be exposed. The “Fast 4 Projects” process is being used to expedite projects at warp speed, neglecting the rights of property owners to be able to respond publicly.   

The silence of the KCC on these Federal projects designed to accelerate the DC electric transmission infrastructure has left Counties and Property Owners at a loss.  Information for “Fast 41 Projects” does not appear on the KCC Website News or in the agency’s email notices. The proposed area for the Midwest Plains Corridor would equal 1.2 million acres of Private Kansas land.  Those acres will be transferred to Federal Control and much of it through eminent domain.

Senator Hawley Calls Out “huge land grab”

Is Missouri Senator Hawley correct in calling Joe Biden’s “Fast 41 Projects” nothing more than an unconstitutional Land Grab?  Most Landowners on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas State Line agree.  The federal government’s confiscation of private property for transmission corridors that serve no utility customer in either state amounts to an abuse of power to implement an agenda lacking a proven scientific theory.  Ideology is not science nor is manufactured data to fit the narrative.   What has been proven through history has been agendas such as “Zero Carbon” will cripple individual livelihoods and destroy local economies.  Land is what secures every American’s Freedom as stated in the Constitution.

Stop the Madness

It is time to bring the Hammer Down on Legislators who are out campaigning.  The Kansas Legislature has authority over the generation and distribution of power in Kansas. The legislative body is the Overseer of the Kansas Corporation Commission by statute.  If the KCC is not acting in the best interests of Kansas citizens, is it merely functioning as an extension of the Federal government?  It is time to make elected officials implement a moratorium on green energy projects, transmission lines, and carbon storage.   If the authority of the KCC has become neutered by the federal government agent, the Southwest Power Pool, the legislature should put on the gloves and get ready for the fight.  Ridding the KCC of less-than-honest commissioners who have become bad actors would be a great start.  Pulling the purse strings of an agency that has failed to deliver for the people of Kansas would be another avenue to reign it in. Call your Kansas Senator & House member today! Request a special hearing to address the federal government’s overreach and the Kansas Corporation Commission’s failure to safeguard the rights of property owners in Kansas. It is time to return to Topeka and hear from the public.  

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What’s Up With Kansas Property Values

What’s Up With Kansas Property Values

Jul 2, 2024 | Kansas Farms & Land Ownership News, Property Tax

Appraisal Values Just Don’t Add Up

For two years, Kansas Property Owners have tried to make sense of property tax statements that reflect increased values in property that are driving tax bills into the danger zone for many Kansas Families. Who Determines that increased value resembles a game of Ping Pong between County Assessors, County Commissioners, Members of the Kansas Legislature, and the Kansas Department of Revenue Property Assessment Value Director David Harper. Who and Why isn’t the only things murky about answers given to property owners that protest the values, it becomes even muddier when examining the changes to the appraisal process that has been the best-kept secret of the Kelly Administration.

The Big Lie: Fair vs Equitable  

The NEW SYSTEM is riddled with changes in statutes. Here is the Short Version:  How Kansas became the state that is taxing property owners off their land in the name of EQUITY. The cast of perpetrators include Governor Laura Kelly’s adopted Justice 40 Initiative from the Biden Green New Deal, Kansas Department of Revenue Property Assessment Value Director David Harper, a software company instrumental in building a Cloud base data systems with AI capabilities named Tyler Technology Inc., grant funder Kansas Information Network (INK) Board, the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Data collecting Tool called KANPAY, and a host of legislative bills that codified this into law by the Kansas Legislature.   

Is The NEW Appraisal System Redistributing Wealth?

This Mass Appraisal values generated by Computer Software by Tyler Technology comes with a host of critics and legal challenges.  See Below  With the collusion of government bodies with this kind of weaponry, will be the largest transfer of private wealth to government coiffures in Kansas history.  Sooner or later the burden becomes to heavy a load and history will not be forgiving to those that have accomplished this redistribution of wealth in the name of EQUITY.   In 2022 alone, this project generated $5 Billion of New Tax Dollars and removed those dollars from local economies that were already hurting from Inflation and Lock Downs.    ISN’T it time for a Constitutional Amendment for Taxpayers to Vote ON?   Make the Call Today Bring The Legislature Back To Work!

Selling Personal Data For Profit, No Disclosure

Property Tax or a Social Justice Taxing System

What does the Appraisal System Looks Like Now? KDOR has a weapon: “Orion CAMA (Computer-assisted Mass Appraisal System)”, a powerful cloud-based system designed to increase the information collected on Kansans through grants. The grant funding for the project is based on information or deliverables on amounts of data that will create an E-Government system that can connect the 105 County governments.  This funding is approved by Kansas INK and that data will drive programs like Assessment Connect designed by Tyler Technology Inc.  “Assessment Connect” will generates profiles for tax purposes and determine market values of Kansan’s property.

What Tax Will Be Next:  ESG?

This capability would make the GIS-ORION CAMA system capable of reappraising property in real-time not annually. This sophisticated database will be providing access to your information by other agencies. Of course there will be a cost for access to taxpayers data that will generate for NEW service projects, initiatives, and Special Programs to increase tax revenue all in the name of Equity. According to this statement on Tyler Technology’s Website by KDOR’s director of Property and Valuation says it all when it comes to your property:

“The 1.7 Million parcels of land, water, minerals, and resources are captured in a “data pipeline” with the help of 91 Kansas Counties to share and make the data available to all professional service companies that would be needed to build all the API’s, the subscription fee would be in the range of $550,000-$600,000 annually” stated David Harper. The List of Statute changes required for the New Appraisal System can be viewed in a report presented to the Kansas Legislative LEADERSHIP on Nov. 18 2022 and In the Report prepared by KDOR included Statutes that would have to be changed. Read More HERE: In two short years property owners in Kansas find themselves at the mercy of BIG GOVERNMENT having their data information and property exposed publicly.

The “LAND GRAB” Is The New Gold Rush

Landowners have already experienced the “Land Grab” from their information in the Hands of Associations that represent Land Acquisition.  Investors locating such things as Solar Utility search  the data pipeline to identify properties that are under water.  Locating a property with back taxes, or properties placed in the 52  COUNTY LANDBANKS, or looking for leasing land from out of state owners has become effortless.  Game On for TARGETING Taxpayers!  Isn’t it Time For some Honesty and Transparency in Topeka! ISN’T it time for a Constitutional Amendment that allows Taxpayers a Voice, a Vote?  Are you ready to take a STAND?

Make the Call or Sign the PETITION Today

Bring The Legislature Back To Work!

When Property Tax Decisions Were Local Decisions

Prior to all this chaos, the Kansas Appraisal and Property Tax Procedures adopted by Counties to keep Property Tax in line with county budgets was always directed by the County Appraiser’s office. Appraisals were conducted on around 17% of the property parcels in the county each year. Those 17% of parcels were then evaluated for changes to the Property due to construction, improvements, land use, and sales comparatives and then recorded in the CAMA Mapping System to keep property information current. In short, appraisal changes on any property were updated every six years. Property owners with no intention of ever selling were reviewed every six years. Fair or Not, property owners could find their way to the County Appraiser’s Office and get an answer to appraisal changes that made sense.

NextEra Wolf Creek Blackberry Transmission Line Siting

NextEra Wolf Creek Blackberry Transmission Line Siting

May 7, 2024 | Kansas Farms & Land Ownership News

No Transparency Has Consequences 

Landowners of Kansas are good stewards to the landscape and keep Kansas landscape free of over development of transmission lines. The Commission has held two public hearings and have heard the Clear Message from Kansans, “We will Stand For Our Land at the Cost of Eminent domain.” This Commission has been the Gate Keeper for Over Reaching Regulations, Protecting Utility Customers from High Rates that Hurt Families, and Enforcing the State Statutes for a Open Public Transparent Process.

We ask Commissioners To Stand With Kansas Land Owners and Reject the harmful Siting Plan Proposed by NextEra Southwest in Docket 23-NETE-585-STG and Reconsider the Need For This Project. 1.6 Million Acre Impact for a 96 Miles 345kV Transmission Line that does not Benefit Kansas is Just The Beginning Nightmare of the Industrial Expansion of more Lines, more Solar, Wind, more Storage, and Higher Utility Rates for Citizens. We Ask the Commissioners To Stand 4 The Land and Put Kansas First. Thank You!

 

 

Why Every Kansan Should Engage in the Public Conversation

What will be the future of Kansas will be determined by Her people and that picture can only be painted by property owners that understand it is ownership of land that inherently secures the individuals rights. The framers of the Constitution treated private property as the cornerstone of a free society and Kansas should do the same. Engaging in the process at the local level will shape the future of our cities, towns and counties. Contact us if we can possibly guide you to resources!

 

 

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Kansas Landowners Face a New Kind of Predator

Kansas Landowners Face a New Kind of Predator

Jan 18, 2024 | Kansas Farms & Land Ownership News

No Transparency Leaves too Many Unknowns for Rural Kansas

63 Kansas Counties are targeted for 56 Industrial Solar Projects, 46 Industrial Wind Projects and 27 various Battery Storage Projects that will produce 150,000 MW for the Federal Energy Department in conjunction with the Regional Partner the Southwest Power Pool. The minimum amount of land for these projects that will produce that quantity of Power will range from 1.3 million Acres for Wind, 136 thousand Acres for Solar, with millions of solar panels as high as 7 ft high. If you would like to check your county and project detail please CLICK HERE.

 

Why it Matters

Kansas Counties base county budgets off Mil levies assigned to property values. Determining Land Use of property determines the percentage of tax property owners are charged. Agricultural Land varies by Soil structure and production expected off the acreage, so the question will be If the Topsoil is removed for Industrial Solar how does that impact the taxing classification? The next question would be if leases are over a period of 45 to 99 years, is the land classification Industrial since the description of production no longer is agriculture? Does the classification of the land move to Industrial, leaving the landowner responsible for a larger tax burden? Will this Energy Source be considered Renewable under the Ks Statutes that address taxing and exemptions for Renewable Energy? Questions on utility rate increase on Kansas customers to pay for projects, safety, disposal, contamination, even the human rights when it comes to Industrial Solar Panels imported from Malysia or China have to be questions. Solar Manufacturers in the United States import these panels across Canadian Borders and truck them to states just like Kansas. Most U.S. manufacturers own plants in Malysia or partner with China because of abundance of material that are labeled a health risk and cheap labor. Many of these companies are listed on the World Human Rights Violation site, CLICK HER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

 

Unintended Consequences for Property Owners Caught in the Middle

There is no better example of NO transparency than what is happening in Linn county, a county that is host to the La Cygne power plant, a 1,598.9 MW COAL fired power project owned by Evergy. Landowner Mark Briggs lives on his family’s farm in rural Linn county. He is continuing the traditions of growing up in rural Linn County to raise his children. The solar and battery storage projects proposed in Linn County is near his property. The projects equates to 1.714 MW of power, which Evergy’s will profit from. Estimation of the area required for these projects equate to over 10,000 acres of ground and a large percentage of land leases have been acquired, most from out of county property owners. Mark and other generational farmers find their properties caught in the middle of the proposed projects. Their properties now face significant devaluation in market value when fully disclosed to a buyer the situation. Mark finds himself spending less time coaching his son in wrestling and spending more time in commission meeting. Engaging in the process has been educational, but property owners must be their own advocate when it comes to local zoning.  CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW TO HEAR LINN COUNTY’S STORY AND TO SIGN THEIR PETITION TO PROTECT THEIR VALUABLE FARMLAND.  You can also follow Linn County’s Facebook Page.

 

Irresponsibly Sited 8,00 Acre Utility-Scale Solar Power Facility Puts Linn County Kansas Farmers and Land Owners at Risk

 

 

Why Every Kansan Should Engage in the Public Conversation

What will be the future of Kansas will be determined by Her people and that picture can only be painted by property owners that understand it is ownership of land that inherently secures the individuals rights. The framers of the Constitution treated private property as the cornerstone of a free society and Kansas should do the same. Engaging in the process at the local level will shape the future of our cities, towns and counties. Contact us if we can possibly guide you to resources!

 

 

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