17-5907. Dairy production facilities; establishment in county, procedure. (a) (1) The board of county commissioners, by resolution, may permit or deny a dairy production facility, as defined in K.S.A. 17-5903, and amendments thereto, to be established within the county by a corporation, trust, limited liability company, limited partnership or corporate partnership. Such resolution shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official county newspaper. The resolution shall take effect 60 days after final publication unless a valid petition in opposition to the same is filed.

(2) If within 60 days of the final publication of the resolution, a valid protest petition to submit the resolution to the qualified voters of the county is signed by qualified electors of the county equal in number to not less than 5% of the electors of the county who voted for the office of secretary of state at the last preceding general election at which such office was elected and is filed with the county election officer, the county election officer shall submit the question, as established in subsection (c), of whether a dairy production facility shall be allowed to be established in such county at the next state, county or special election.

(b) (1) The board of county commissioners, upon a petition filed in accordance with paragraph (b)(2), shall submit to the qualified electors of the county a proposition to permit a dairy production facility, as defined in K.S.A. 17-5903, and amendments thereto, to be established within the county by a corporation, trust, limited liability company, limited partnership or corporate partnership.

(2) A petition to submit a proposition to the qualified voters of a county pursuant to this section shall be filed with the county election officer. The petition shall be signed by qualified electors of the county equal in number to not less than 5% of the electors of the county who voted for the office of secretary of state at the last preceding general election at which such office was elected. The following shall appear on the petition:

"We request an election to determine whether a corporation, trust, limited liability company, limited partnership or corporate partnership shall be allowed to, either directly or indirectly, own, acquire or otherwise obtain or lease any agricultural land in ________ county for the purpose of establishing a dairy production facility."

(3) Upon the submission of a valid petition calling for an election pursuant to this subsection, the county election officer shall submit the question, as established in subsection (c), of whether a dairy production facility shall be allowed to be established in such county at the next countywide election which occurs more than 60 days after the petition is filed with the county election officer.

(c) In any election established pursuant to this section, the following shall appear on the ballot:

"Shall a corporation, trust, limited liability company, limited partnership or corporate partnership be allowed to, either directly or indirectly, own, acquire or otherwise obtain or lease any agricultural land in ________ county for the purpose of establishing a dairy production facility?"

(d) If a majority of the votes cast and counted are in opposition to allowing dairy production facilities to be established in such county, the county election officer shall transmit a copy of the result to the secretary of state who shall publish in the Kansas register the result of such election and that dairy production facilities are not allowed to be established in such county.

(e) If a majority of the votes cast and counted is in favor of the proposition, the county election officer shall transmit a copy of the result to the secretary of state who shall publish in the Kansas register the result of such election and that dairy production facilities are allowed to be established in such county.

(f) The election provided for by this section shall be conducted, and the votes counted and canvassed, in the manner provided by law for question submitted elections of the county.

History: L. 1994, ch. 249, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 141, § 3; July 1.