Also passing the full Senate was SB 332, a bill designed to help handicapped people and families of handicapped individuals purchase assistive technology. The bill enacts the Individual Development Account Program for Assistive Technology. The program would be under the Department of SRS and enable eligible families and individuals to establish tax advantaged accounts for the purpose of funding purchases of assistive technology. The bill passed with a vote of 40-0. Agriculture The Senate Agriculture Committee heard testimony this week on HB 2011, an act that would provide payment to a producer of ethanol where that ethanol is sold by the producer to an ethyl alcohol blender.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel produced primarily from corn and grain sorghum.
Studies have shown that fuel efficiency improves and polluting emissions are markedly reduced in fuel that has been blended with ethanol. Farmers are generally supportive of efforts to add value to commodities, and many farm organizations testified in support of HB 2011. Specifically, a spokesman of the Kansas Corn Growers and Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Associations said many private individuals and entities exploring the construction of ethanol plants in Kansas are seeking economic incentives to make their endeavors more fruitful. Other states, such as Missouri and Nebraska, have extensive incentive programs for value-added endeavors, such as ethanol. The Senate Republican Caucus discussed a school finance funding enhancement package proposed by several Education Committee members.