Kansas lawmakers pass bill prohibiting foreign adversary-tied entities from buying land near military installations

Kansas lawmakers voted Wednesday to pass a bill prohibiting foreign adversary-tied entities from purchasing land near United States military installations, the Associated Press reported.

Republican legislators in the state’s House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 172 in an 84-39 vote this week. The legislation would prevent organizations with foreign terrorist ties as well as individuals and businesses from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela from acquiring property located within 150 miles of any military site.

Republican Kansas Rep. Jake LaTurner stated in a post on X Wednesday that state lawmakers recently “discussed the importance of ensuring CCP-backed companies aren’t gaining access to Kansas supply chains and crucial military bases across our state.”

He applauded legislators for passing the “strong, commonsense” bill, noting it would prevent China from “expanding its foothold in Kansas.”

“We can’t stand by and let the Chinese Communist Party steal from, bully, and spy on Kansans right in our own backyard,” LaTurner added.

In a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, LaTurner called the Chinese Communist Party the “greatest national security threat facing Kansas.”

A December report from the DCNF revealed that a CCP-tied chemicals company, Cnano Technology USA Inc., plans to build a $95 million, 333,000-square-foot facility in Johnson County, Kansas, that will manufacture liquid conductive paste for batteries used in electric vehicles, cell phones, and power tools. The facility’s location is only 35 miles from Fort Leavenworth and 70 miles from Whiteman Air Force Base, the DCNF reported based on research conducted by the Heritage Foundation Oversight Project and Heritage Action.

If it becomes law, SB 172 could prevent Cnano USA, a subsidiary of China-based Cnano Jiangsu Technology Co. Ltd., from building the facility.

Republican Kansas lawmakers also passed two other proposals aimed at cracking down on economic activity with foreign adversaries. In an 85-38 vote, legislators passed SB 37, which would require the state to divest from firms affiliated with adversary entities, the AP reported.

Republican state Rep. Nick Hoheisel said, “It is inappropriate for our state to allocate resources to countries that present substantial obstacles to human rights, international stability, and our national security.”

Lawmakers also voted 83-40 to pass SB 271, which would ban state agencies from acquiring drones that contain “critical components” made in or produced by a foreign adversary nation.

Democratic Rep. John Carmichael and other critics accused Republican lawmakers of pushing xenophobic measures.

“This has turned into Asian Prejudice Day in the Kansas Legislature, and it’s not a proud moment,” Carmichael stated.

Democratic Rep. Boog Highberger argued that legislation would not prevent spying but would negatively impact immigrant business owners.

“To the extent that there is a problem, much of it could be addressed by our existing prohibition on corporate ownership of farmland,” Highberger claimed.

Republican leaders in other states, including Arkansas, Missouri, and Indiana, are pushing forward similar measures to prevent prohibited foreign entities from buying land.

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