Kansas Lawmakers Introduce Transparency Bills following Tyson Saga

Kansas lawmakers have introduced a bill to address county-level transparency in the fallout of the proposed Tyson processing plant in Tonganoxie, Kansas. A proposed processing facility was abandoned following perceived opposition in Leavenworth County, Kansas, last year.

The legislation would require countywide public votes on large-scale poultry project proposals, expanding existing state law allowing public scrutiny of hog and dairy facilities, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. A sponsor of the bill says it would improve transparency of county-permitted poultry operations, contending that local residents were unaware that Tyson was proposing a poultry plant in their community.

The proposed $320 million Tyson facility would have created 1,600 jobs to the community, according to company estimates.