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Minutes for HB2559 - Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Short Title
Creating the Kansas cotton boll weevil program and requiring the program to levy an assessment upon Kansas produced cotton and monitor and mitigate the risk of boll weevils.
Minutes Content for Thu, Mar 10, 2022
Chairperson Kerschen opened the hearing on HB2559.
Tamera Lawrence of the Revisor of Statutes Office provided the committee with a memorandum that explained the bill The bill would establish the Kansas Cotton Boll Weevil Act and create the Kansas Cotton Boll Weevil Program which would be administered by a board of directors. .(Attachment 1)
Kelsey Olson testified in support of the bill. She believes that cotton producers have developed a responsible and transparent framework for the establishment of this program in order to protect Kansas cotton. In the event of an infestation, any solution can be properly managed through coordination and use of the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to protect the state from plant pests.(Attachment 2)
Shahira Stafford spoke in place of Brandi Miller in favor of the bill. She told the committee that the bill would provide the framework needed for producers to facilitate a monitoring program and, if necessary, an eradication program.She believes that this will ease the concern of possible boll weevil introduction in the state.(Attachment 3)
Rex Friesen testified as a proponent of the bill. He believes that the bill provides the tools needed to carry out the mission of maintaining a boll weevil free state.(Attachment 4)
Riley Akin spoke in support of the bill. He explained that the boll weevil, even though it once crippled the cotton crops of other states, has been almost eradicated in the United States.However, there is still a chance that they could move into the state. It is critical that the Kansas Department of Agriculture have the authority to spray acres infested with the boll weevil.(Attachment 5)
Claudia Hissong testified in favor of the bill. She believes that as a cotton growing state, Kansas needs a Boll Weevil management program. An established statewide program to monitor and trap the boll weevil is an important component to prevent a potentially devastating infestation in the future.(Attachment 6)
Written proponent testimony was submitted by:
Gary Fiest- Southern Kansas Cotton Growers Cooperative(Attachment 7)
Brenda Osborne- Executive Director, State of Oklahoma Boll Weevil Eradication Organization(Attachment8)
Discussion among committee members and conferees touched on several areas of the bill. There was a concern expressed about property rights since inspectors are allowed on the property to inspect cotton fields for cotton pests and set and monitor traps.Another discussion topic was the method of selecting members of the Board as well as the number of people on the Board.
After much discussion, Chairperson Kerschen closed the hearing on HB2559.
