photo by: Journal-World

The west side of the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., is pictured on Sept. 23, 2021.

The Douglas County Commission on Wednesday is set to hear an update regarding numerous legislative issues that affect the county, including ongoing discussions on the food sales tax, redistricting and renewable energy.

Regarding the tax, the Tax Committee in the Kansas House of Representatives has held a first round of hearings on two bills that would eliminate the state’s sales tax on food, a move that both Gov. Laura Kelly and her likely Republican opponent in the next election, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, have pushed for.

On redistricting, a recently passed Republican-backed congressional map currently awaits action by Kelly, who is expected to veto it. It adds Lawrence to the state’s 1st Congressional District and splits the city from the rest of Douglas County, which would remain in the 2nd Congressional District.

The commission is also slated to discuss a handful of bills being considered by the Kansas Legislature that would curb renewable energy efforts. NextEra, a Florida-based energy firm, has recently expressed interest in building a 3,000-acre solar farm in Douglas and Johnson counties.

Commissioners will also hear updates on legislative efforts related to voting machines, housing incentives and juvenile justice, among other items.

The Douglas County Commission will convene at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Residents can participate in the meeting in person, virtually or via phone, and more information about those options is available at douglascountyks.org/commission/meetings.