Current:Home > MyKansas’ governor has killed proposed limits on foreign land ownership -WealthSync Hub
Kansas’ governor has killed proposed limits on foreign land ownership
View
Date:2025-04-14 11:54:36
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Proposed restrictions in Kansas on the foreign ownership of land died Friday when the state’s Democratic governor vetoed a bill that top Republican lawmakers argued would protect military bases from Chinese spying.
The Kansas House’s top GOP leader accused Gov. Laura Kelly of “apathy” toward serious national security threats from China and other nations declared by the U.S. government to be adversaries “of concern,” including Cuba, Iraq, North Korea and Venezuela. The bill would have prohibited more than 10% ownership by foreign nationals from those countries of any non-residential property within 100 miles of any military installation — or most of Kansas.
A Kansas State University report last fall said Chinese ownership accounted for a single acre of privately owned Kansas agricultural land and all foreign individuals and companies owned 2.4% of the state’s 49 million acres of private agricultural land. The bill would have required the university to compile annual reports on all foreign real estate ownership, including non-agricultural business property.
Kelly said in her veto message that while Kansas needs stronger protections against foreign adversaries, the bill was so “overly broad” that it could disrupt “legitimate investment and business relationships.”
“I am not willing to sign a bill that has the potential to hurt the state’s future prosperity and economic development,” Kelly said in her veto message.
Kansas exported $14.1 billion worth of products in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. China was its fourth-largest trading partner, with $848 million worth of exports, behind Mexico, Canada and Japan.
But Kansas already limits corporate ownership of agricultural land. More than 20 other states restrict foreign land ownership, according to the National Agricultural Law Center.
Early in 2023, before being shot down, a Chinese spy balloon floated across U.S. skies for several days, including over northeast Kansas, home to Fort Leavenworth, home to the U.S. Army’s college for training commanders. That intensified interest in restrictions on foreign land ownership in Kansas, though concerns existed already because of the construction of a national biosecurity lab near Kansas State University.
Kansas House Majority Leader Chris Croft, a Kansas City-area Republican and retired Army officer who was among the most vocal supporters of the bill, said Kelly’s veto leaves its military bases and other critical infrastructure “wide open for adversarial foreign governments.”
“The assets of this state are too important for us to sit on our hands and wait until it’s too late,” Croft said in a statement after the veto.
Some conservative Republicans, including Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, pushed for even stronger restrictions. Kobach backed a plan to ban all foreign ownership of more than 3 acres of land, with a new state board able to make exceptions.
“Despite the governor’s apathy, we’ll continue to work to protect Kansas and its citizens from those foreign bad actors who wish to exploit land ownership loopholes,” House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican said.
A few Republicans in the state Senate balked at the restrictions, and the bill appeared to be just short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto. The bill would have given affected foreign individuals and companies two years to divest themselves of their Kansas properties.
Critics suggested attributed support for the bill to xenophobia. They suggested the main effect would be to force immigrants — including those fleeing repressive regimes — to sell their shops and restaurants.
“To the extent that this bill affects anyone, it affects everyday people, those who are trying to live the American dream,” Democratic state Rep. Melissa Oropeza, of Kansas City, Kansas, said ahead of one vote on the bill.
veryGood! (11419)
Related
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Kylie Jenner's Bombshell 2024 Met Gala Look Proves That She Likes It Hot
- David Corenswet's Superman revealed in James Gunn reboot first look
- PGA Championship invites 7 LIV players to get top 100 in the world
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- 2024 Met Gala: Charlie Hunman’s Rare Outing Will Get Your Heartbeat Racing
- Gov. Kristi Noem faces questions in new interview about false claim in her book that she met Kim Jong Un
- Chrissy Teigen Shares Selfie in Neck Brace Ahead of 2024 Met Gala
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Kim Kardashian Wears Her Most Curve-Hugging Look to Date at 2024 Met Gala
Ranking
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Met Gala outfits can't easily be recreated at home — but we have ideas
- The Kardashians at the Met Gala: Check out the reality-TV family's 'Sleeping Beauties' looks
- Met Gala co-chair Chris Hemsworth keeps it simple, elegant for his red carpet look: See pics
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- US repatriates 11 citizens from notorious camps for relatives of Islamic State militants in Syria
- Nosebleeds are common but can be a sign of something serious. Here's when to see a doctor.
- Boy Scouts of America changing name to more inclusive Scouting America after years of woes
Recommendation
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
St. Louis Blues make Drew Bannister full-time coach; Ottawa Senators hire Travis Green
Martha Stewart Swears By These 3 Practices to Help Herself Age Backwards
Emma Chamberlain’s Gothic Look Proves Anything Goes At the 2024 Met Gala
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
A jury awards $9 million to a player who sued the US Tennis Association over sexual abuse by a coach
Met Gala 2024 best dressed: See Bad Bunny, Zendaya, JLo, more stars blossom in Garden of Time
Zendaya Defeats All Challengers With 3rd Met Gala Look