The Ad Astra Rural Jobs Act, as the bill is called, passed the House, 97-22, over the objection of some House members who said it had not been thoroughly studied, and worried that it could lead to giving taxpayer subsidies to factory hog farms or other kinds of confined animal feeding operations.

Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, made that argument during debate on the bill Tuesday. He also noted that a nearly identical bill was introduced in the Missouri General Assembly in 2016, under the name “the Show-Me Rural Jobs Act,” and that the same venture capital firm executive who supported that bill was also the leading proponent of this year’s bill in Kansas.

“I sincerely hope this bill accomplishes its laudable purpose and does not result in the victimization of small businesses in Kansas by out-of-state venture capital companies,” Carmichael said, explaining his vote against the bill.

Read the full story at http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2017/mar/15/house-passes-rural-jobs-bill-despite-skepticism/