Urgent Alert: Act Now to Protect Local Water Rights!
A local Hays water dispute is about to make all counties helpless against urban area thirst
Fellow Kansans,
Today marks a critical escalation in the fight over HB 2433, the so-called "Hays Water Bill" that's poised to strip away county home rule powers across our state. After a rushed process, the bill has just passed out of the Senate Committee on Local Government, Transparency, and Ethics, and it's now barreling toward the full Senate floor with alarming momentum. This isn't just about one city's water needs—it's a statewide power grab that centralizes control in the hands of unelected state officials, leaving rural communities vulnerable and without a voice.
As I've detailed in my previous pieces—
and
—this legislation amends K.S.A. 19-101a to prohibit counties from enacting any resolutions that could regulate water transfers or appropriations, except for limited domestic uses through zoning or sanitary codes. It hands unfettered authority to the Chief Engineer of the Division of Water Resources and the Water Transfer Hearing Panel, applying retroactively to nullify existing local protections. What started as a local dispute between the City of Hays and Edwards County over the R9 Ranch water rights—a 30-year saga with ongoing litigation—has ballooned into a bill that affects all 105 counties in Kansas. Rural areas risk aquifer depletion, infrastructure strain, lost agricultural jobs, and environmental harm, all while bigger cities with more lobbyists and resources get to siphon water without local oversight.
The committee process has been a glaring display of misunderstanding and misplaced priorities. In both the House and Senate hearings, lawmakers brought in the Chief Engineer—the very official this bill empowers with sweeping, unchecked control over water decisions—to field questions during bill workings. But instead of probing the real heart of the issue, like how this erodes home rule for every county in the state or why we're upending local governance over a single dispute with pending court cases, the senators fixated on tangential science topics. Questions about hydrology and general water principles dominated, with little to no discussion on the bill's core ramifications: overriding local permits, fees, and conditions that protect communities from outsized urban demands. This lack of scrutiny underscores how HB 2433 is being fast-tracked without true comprehension of its statewide fallout. It's not about science—it's about power, and rural Kansas is on the losing end.
We can't let this slide. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly (116-6) on February 10, 2026, and after a packed Senate hearing on February 26 where grassroots opposition from farmers, county officials, and groups like the Kansas Natural Resource Coalition was largely sidelined, it's now cleared committee. Proponents, backed by Hays' business interests, frame it as "clarifying" authority for uniformity, but make no mistake: this is state overreach that sets a dangerous precedent for future resource grabs.
Your Call to Action: Contact Senate Leadership and Your Senator NOW!
Time is of the essence—the Senate floor vote could happen any day. We need a flood of calls and emails to halt this momentum. Urge them to vote NO on HB 2433 unless it's amended to restore local safeguards, require impact assessments for rural areas, and ensure fair representation on the Water Transfer Hearing Panel.
- Senate President Ty Masterson: As the leader of the Senate, he has the power to slow this down or demand changes. Call his office at (785) 296-2419 or email ty.masterson@senate.ks.gov. Tell him: "Protect Kansas counties' home rule—oppose HB 2433 and prevent a single dispute from dictating policy for all 105 counties!"
- Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi: Call his office at (785) 296-2497 or email Chase.Blasi@senate.ks.gov. Tell him: “Do not let Hays’ dispute change home rule for all counties”
- Your Own State Senator: Find yours by clicking this legislator lookup tool. Once you have their contact info, call or email immediately. Sample message: "I'm a constituent in [your county], and I oppose HB 2433. This bill strips local control over water rights for a Hays-specific issue with active litigation. Vote NO to safeguard rural Kansas from state overreach!"
Share this alert widely—forward it to friends, post on social media, and rally your community. Rural voices have been drowned out by urban lobbying; let's turn up the volume before it's too late. Together, we can defend local control and ensure water policy serves all Kansans, not just the well-connected.
Stay vigilant!