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After Wildfires, Kansas House Approves Plan To Assist In Fence Rebuilding

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The Kansas House has approved a bill to help farmers and ranchers rebuild after the recent wildfires. The proposal would create a sales tax exemption for materials purchased to replace burned fences.

Republican Rep. Ken Rahjes says there are federal programs that can assist farmers with some other losses, but this is one of the things the state can do to help.

“At a lot of these ranches, that’s one of the largest investments. When we see an investment of a mile of fence is around $10,000, even a small break that we can give them is at least one thing that we can do from a state perspective,” Rahjes says.

Under the plan, someone who lost a fence would apply for a card from the state which would allow them to buy fence supplies tax-free.

Rahjes expects the Senate to take up the bill soon.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.