<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614788262590.png" alt="Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, R-Emporia, praised an expansion of the Rural Housing Incentive District program for potential benefits to Kansas main streets. (Nick Krug for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, R-Emporia, praised an expansion of the Rural Housing Incentive District program for potential benefits to Kansas main streets. (Nick Krug for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/02/champions-of-kansas-bill-say-rural-development-tool-key-to-addressing-housing-needs-but-skeptics-remain/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas senators 
gave initial approval Tuesday to a bill that would expand a rural 
development program aimed at addressing housing needs and revitalizing 
downtowns.The bill would allow 
renovations on the second floor or higher of buildings located in 
central business areas of Rural Housing Incentive Districts. RHIDs can 
be designated in any city or county with a population of less than 
60,000.The buildings must exceed 
25 years of age, and the renovations must be done for residential 
purposes. The cost of these RHID projects would be covered by the 
incremental increase in property tax value.Skeptics argued the 
program did not have enough foresight and may not be needed. However, 
Sen. Jeff Longbine, R-Emporia, said this was an important rural 
development tool. He cited work in his district done using the program 
in support of the measure.“This is a tool that has 
been used in our community very, very successfully in the rural housing 
development. Our first project was complete houses,” Longbine said. 
“This is a component that our main street organizations across the state
 are very, very interested in.”The Senate has yet to take a final vote on the bill, one of about 20 pieces of legislation considered Tuesday on the floor.The bill introduced in the
 Senate Commerce Committee was supported by representatives from the 
Kansas Department of Commerce, the League of Kansas Municipalities and 
the Kansas Association of Realtors. Proponents argued in committee 
testimony that RHIDs could revitalize downtowns while addressing housing
 needs.Holland emphasized these 
claims in support of the bill. He said expanding housing in western 
Kansas communities was a must or risk furthering outward migration from 
these areas.“When we talk about our 
slowly dying main streets, the ability of this bill to basically 
incentivize somebody to set up some residences on top of these old, 
fading away properties we have in main street, I think that’s 
significant,” Holland said. “Because once again, we are trying to 
revitalize these dying parts of our state.”Holland said having programs like these is essential in attracting companies and developers to these counties and cities.Sen. Larry Alley, 
R-Winfield, expressed concern that for 25 years the city or county could
 abate these property taxes and would not see any revenue from the new 
development. This would lead to issues paying other civic works 
expenses.“The cities and the 
counties that these RHIDs are included, are they looking 10, 12, 14 
years in the future when the roads may have to be replaced?” Alley said.
 “They will not get a dime of taxes from the local people that move into
 these new apartments and these new housings. They won’t get a dime of 
taxes to replace those roads, to fix the water lines for the area.”Sen. Alicia Straub, 
R-Ellinwood, said she does not hear constituents in her district 
clamoring for downtown housing. She expressed concern this could 
increase costs down the road for local taxpayers and farmers and would 
not be beneficial to rural areas.Sen. Robert Olson, 
R-Olathe, assured Straub the only costs would be the incremental 
property tax increase on that building, not the entire community.The Senate also took final
 action to pass more than a dozen bills Tuesday, including a bill 
officially recognizing funeral processions in state statute and a 
measure designating public utility vehicles as authorized emergency 
vehicles.A debated bill creating 
new crimes for damage of public or private infrastructure also passed 
29-9. Opponents justified the increase by citing the need to deter 
radical protests, but proponents worried the definition of a radical 
protest may be taken loosely.“Of course, we need to 
protect our critical infrastructure, but we also have an obligation to 
uphold our Constitution. This bill threatens First Amendment rights,” 
said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa. “I have concerns 
about Kansans’ freedom of assembly of rights and the future litigation 
that will almost certainly arise from Kansas exercising their right to 
peacefully protest and assemble.”

Key rural housing bill advances in Kansas Legislature