{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-requests-41-million-savings-kansas-water-contracts", "Davids Requests $41 Million Savings for Kansas Water Contracts", "2024-02-08", "2024", "2024-02", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced she requested a simple language change to this year\u2019s annual water resource bill to save the State of Kansas more than $41 million. The specific request, made in the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), changes how the interest is calculated on two of Kansas\u2019 water storage contracts with the federal government. Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Water Office previously advocated for Davids to make this request.\n\n\u201cMy request to this year\u2019s water resources bill would provide economic relief for our state and secure a more dependable and affordable water supply, a lifeline for communities across Kansas in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns,\u201d said Davids. \u201cWith the precedent of a similar amendment being accepted for El Dorado Lake in 2022, I am optimistic that history will repeat itself this year, saving Kansas $41 million. I am proud to join Governor Kelly and Kansas\u2019 Water Office in ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars.\u201d\n\nCurrently, the State of Kansas leases water from the federal government for storage use, but the interest payments on those loans are calculated using compound interest, which makes debt grow faster. Davids\u2019 request would change the interest rate calculation for two water supply storage contracts \u2014 Milford and Perry Lakes \u2014 to simple interest, which is computed annually based on the balance at the start of the period. This request would save Kansas more than $41 million in total interest payments. An identical request was granted in the 2022 WRDA for Kansas\u2019 contract of El Dorado Lake.\n\n\u201cLowering the interest rates on these debts for Milford and Perry Lakes would save Kansas taxpayers more than $41 million and benefit the communities and business depending on these reservoirs,\u201d said KansasGovernor Laura Kelly. \u201cPaying off this debt secures a reliable, more affordable water supply for years to come, which is crucial as we continue to address Kansas\u2019 water crisis. I commend Representative Davids for supporting this request.\u201d\n\n\u201cKansans stand to benefit tremendously from the lower interest rates on these future use storage contract debts for Milford and Perry Lakes, saving millions of taxpayer dollars while further securing a much-needed long-term water supply,\u201d said Connie Owen, Director, Kansas Water Office. \u201cThe Kansas Water Office appreciates Rep. Davids\u2019 continued advocacy for Kansas through this WRDA request which would put our state\u2019s reservoir water supply on solid footing for years to come.\u201d\n\nThis request would provide financial relief not only for the State, but also for municipalities, industries, businesses, and water supply districts that utilize this water storage currently or in the future. Paying off this debt secures a reliable and more affordable water supply for residents and businesses for years to come, which is especially important as we face continued drought and extreme weather. Entities within Kansas\u2019 Third District with current contracts for water supply storage at Milford and Perry Lakes include the Cities of Olathe, Bonner Springs, DeSoto, as well as WaterOne and Evergy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:21:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-requests-41-million-savings-kansas-water-contracts"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7442198693752289, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}