For the time being, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has halted an effort to prevent Chinese citizens from buying land in the state.
On Friday, May 10, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 172. According to the Kansas Reflector, the bill would have prevented people and businesses from “countries of concern” from buying nonresidential property within a 100-mile radius of a military installation in Kansas.
One of the “countries of concern” included in the bill is China. Republican lawmakers claim that bill was constructed to protect the United States from foreign adversaries.
“Foreign adversaries, such as China, have made their intentions toward the US and our democracy abundantly clear. It’s shameful that our governor has chosen not to take those threats seriously, leaving Kansas’ critical infrastructure and military installments exposed,” Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins said per WBIW 13. “Despite the Governor’s apathy, we’ll continue to work to protect Kansas and its citizens from those foreign bad actors who wish to exploit land ownership loopholes.”
Governor Kelly agreed that it was important for Kansas “to implement stronger protections against foreign adversaries” but was concerned that provisions in the bill were “unconstitutional” and could cause “unintended consequences.”
“Many of the provisions in House Substitute for Senate Bill 172 are overly broad and not narrowly tailored to enhance our state’s security while limiting the disruption of legitimate investment and business relationships. Additionally, the retroactive nature of this legislation raises further serious constitutional concerns. I am not willing to sign a bill that has the potential to hurt the state’s future prosperity and economic development,” Governor Kelly said in a statement.
Asian American advocates in states like Florida, where similar bills are being passed, have echoed Kelly’s concerns about unintended consequences. They were that the land laws could lead to more widespread discrimination against Asian Americans who are seeking to purchase property.
Stop AAPI Hate, a non-profit organization that has spoken out against several bills like Senate Bill 172, praised Governor Kelly’s decision.
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