Topeka – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed several bills into law today, including House Bill 2258 which will allow economic development in Ellsworth County to move forward. Rep. Steve Johnson (R-Assaria) and elected leaders from the county joined the Governor for the bill signing.

“Our number one priority is to grow our state’s economy and get the more than 100,000 unemployed Kansans back to work. We do that by getting state government out of the way of Kansas entrepreneurs. This legislation will allow an economic development plan to move forward in Ellsworth County,” Gov. Brownback said.

HB 2258 will give the Secretary of Social and Rehabilitation Services the authority to convey certain property in Ellsworth County, Kansas, to the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society via quitclaim deed. The bill would allow the State of Kansas to retain all mineral rights to the property, as well as the right to enter and leave the property at any time for the purpose of oil, gas, or other mineral production. The bill would provide that, in order to protect improvements that could be made to the land by future owners; the State of Kansas cannot harm the surface of the land when exercising its mineral rights.