FHP Alert 4-26-13 Legislature Returns on May 8

[Terry Humphrey]

Dear Friends,

The Kansas Legislature will return for the Veto Session on May 8. On behalf of FHP, I will monitor taxes and the conference committee report on HB 2249 (which contains HB 2118 - eliminates environs review). 

Before adjournment of the regular session, the Senate did not act on the conference committee report on HB 2249. None the less, they can act on the report at any time during the veto session. If the Senate passes the conference committee report, then the report goes to the House for consideration. Consequently the report must be rejected in the Senate and sent back to conference committee where HB 2118 can be stripped from the report

Please see the following alert. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Terry

********ACTION ALERT********

2 WEEKS AND COUNTING...

Legislators return on May 8 to finish their work on the budget, taxes and conference committee reports—including the report on HB 2249, which includes HB 2118 eliminating environs review. We need to keep the pressure on Senators and Representatives to make sure they REJECT the conference committee report on HB 2249 when they get back.  

SHOW & TELL

Now is the ideal time to invite your Senator and Representative to visit a historic property with you and others in your community who support historic preservation.  A short tour of your historic district can convey as much if not more than hours of testimony presented at the Statehouse. Seeing the sites in person can help legislators understand the important relationship between environs and successful historical development projects.

And while you’re touring the beautiful sites, here are a few talking points you can share with your legislator:

• Preservation programs create economic development across Kansas. Over the past five years, more than $223 million was invested in historic properties through rehabilitation tax credit programs, creating 7,948 jobs. (Source: Patrick Zollner, deputy state historic preservation officer)

• The state’s historic preservation statute has fueled preservation-related construction and tourism, providing jobs and putting underused properties back into use (and on the tax rolls).

• The environs review process protects historic properties —and their investors— by ensuring that changes to the immediate environment around the property are compatible with the context. In 90% of the environs review cases over the past 5 years, there has been a finding of “no adverse effect” with regard to the proposed project.

• The environs review protects existing investments in historic properties made by property owners and communities through private and public money.

• The environs review report is provided to local governments as information and background for their decision making. Ultimately, the local government makes the land use decisions.

KEEP THE LAW, FIX THE REGS

Urge legislators to accept the Kansas Historical Society’s offer to bring interested parties together this summer to address the concerns raised by the bill’s proponents in Regulations by refining the environs review process.  Environs review has been the law for 25 years and has protected historic properties and their investors while contributing to the growth in heritage tourism and related industries across Kansas.

TERRY HUMPHREY
Public Affairs Group

MOBILE 785 221 8215

PHONE 785 246 6351

terry@terryhumphrey.com

PO Box 2446 Topeka KS 66601