Kansas Proposes Limiting Foreign Land Ownership

A new proposal has been brought to the table in Kansas by Attorney General Kris Kobach. He’s suggesting some rules to stop people and companies from other countries, especially ones that might not be friendly like China and Russia, from buying big pieces of land in Kansas. He thinks this is a way to keep Kansas and America safe.

Kobach spoke to some important people in the government about this. He thinks Americans should be in control of American land to keep our food and other important things safe. Some other states already have rules like this because they don’t want other countries to cause trouble.

There were some other ideas like this in Kansas, but they didn’t really go anywhere. Some groups in Kansas are wondering if this is really the right thing to do. They are thinking about how this might change buying and selling land and if it’s really allowed by the law.

Kobach thinks this is important for keeping food safe and helping farmers in Kansas. He says it’s hard for new farmers to get land when buyers from other countries are also trying to get it.

Kobach emphasized the need for a rule in Kansas that prohibits all foreign people and companies from purchasing land, stating that limiting land purchases to specific countries would be challenging.

If this new rule is agreed on, people or companies from other countries won’t be allowed to buy big pieces of land in Kansas after July 1, 2024. They also wouldn’t be able to rent land for more than two years. This wouldn’t change anything for land that’s already been bought.

Some other important people in the government would be able to say yes or no to some special cases. And if someone from another country gets land because someone in their family gave it to them, they would have to sell it in 12 months.

Even with this new rule, some big companies that are owned by people from other countries wouldn’t be affected. A professor, Roger McEowen, said this isn’t about politics, but about keeping the country safe and in control of food.

Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer