Certain legal changes of note officially took place Friday with the advent of the state’s new fiscal year.
For election matters, a new law bans a governor from legal agreements changing state election law without lawmaker approval. HB 2252 was passed by Republican lawmakers as an override of a veto from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.
Meanwhile, HB 2138 expands election audits to include procedures used by county clerks. It also requires future electronic poll books to be certified by the state. All paper ballots will need a special watermark as part of this new legislation by the 2024 election cycle.
In motor vehicle laws, one significant change lets 15-year-old drivers with restricted licenses commute to and from religious activities. Students in this age group are already approved for driving to and from farm-related work, other jobs and school.
There are also several bills affecting agriculture producers. Fencing materials and services are now exempt from sales tax if they are used for repairs or replacements. Separately, producers of plant-based meats also need to follow stricter disclaimer policies on packaging so-called veggie burgers and similar products. That change applies to grocery stores, not to restaurants.
