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March 2008 |
Special Legislative Round-Up
Edition Focusing on Priorities and Accomplishments of State Grange Legislative Programs Across the Nation in 2008
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| California - By Randall Lewis, CA State Grange President |
| 2008 Legislative Priorities |
California State Grange is focusing on three legislation priorities in 2008. The Grange will be working to increase the utilization of “green technologies” in the design of schools and other public buildings in California, and they will also support the inclusion of solar and renewable energy technology curriculum for California’s Certified Technical Education (C.T.E.) and Regional Occupation Program (R.O.P.) programs. Finally, the State Grange will support conservation and regulation of water flow in California’s rivers through dams and reservoirs.
| CA State Grange Writes to Lawmakers |
California State Grange Master Randall Lewis recently wrote to State Assembly Member Jean Fuller and State Senator Elaine Alquist on behalf of the 10,000 Grangers in the state. In his March 10th letters, he pledged support for Assembly Bill 2721, which would establish a California Telemedicine Task Force, and also for the extension of broadband services to rural California.
| California Water and the Delta |
Citizens of California are caught between political parties that are both playing partisan politics with the future of water within our state. Our delta estuary is California’s main water hub, with giant pumps feeding state and federal aqueducts, which supply drinking water for approximately 24 million people and irrigation for approximately 3 million acres of farmland. The entire system is in dire need of levee repairs for flood protection, as well as redesigned delivery systems to make water availability more reliable. In the coming months and years, the citizens of California will spend billions of dollars to upgrade and develop new storage and delivery facilities. The population of California is estimated to reach 50 million by the year 2025, so we are running out of time as our legislators keep playing partisan games.
Our agriculture industry, as well as our entire economy and existence, are dependent on safe and adequate amounts of available water. The Delta, the hub of water delivery for the state, is in a crisis. Our state doesn’t have the flexibility or the capacity to meet water needs for our growing population. Conservation and recycling are critical to ensure an adequate supply of water, but conservation alone cannot solve our state’s water crisis.
| CA State Grange Sponsors Feasibility Study for Ostrom Point Dam |
The California State Grange has successfully advocated that legislation be introduced that would authorize a feasibility study to pave the way for construction of the Ostrom Point Dam across the Pit River in Modoc County.
Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa and Senator Dave Cox have agreed to introduce a bill in the California State Legislature based on a resolution from Lookout Grange passed at the last State Grange annual convention last October. The bill, AB 2434, was introduced on February 21.
The proposed Ostrom Point Dam would provide water storage for irrigation, prevent flooding, generate electrical power, and create a recreation area, attracting tourists to this economically depressed agricultural region seventy-five miles northeast of Redding. Alfalfa and wheat are the most commonly grown crops in the area. 
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Connecticut - By Gordon Gibson, CT State Grange Legislative Director |
Farmland Preservation is a Grange Priority in the Nutmeg State
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The Connecticut State Grange is lobbying for farmland preservation through the Connecticut Working Lands Alliance, which has endorsed a “Face of Connecticut” campaign. This includes a commitment by the state of $20 million each year for 10 years for farmland preservation. The program, if enacted, will provide funding to help new farmers get started and for the protection of “locally significant farms” that do not qualify for the state’s existing farmland preservation program. The Alliance is also recommending the creation of a new state-level review process to examine all proposed municipal and state regulatory changes that impact agriculture and farmland.
| Recycling and Bottle Bill |
During the last Connecticut State Grange session the delegates passed a resolution seeking the introduction of a bill investigating and implementing new methods of recycling. In previous years the delegates also passed resolutions to require deposits on all types of beverage containers.
A bill requiring deposits and recycling of beverage containers has made progress in Connecticut this year. Senate Bill 357 would require deposits on all containers for carbonated beverages two liters or less in size and for non-carbonated beverages one and one-half liters or less. This would include all forms of water, including flavored water, but would not include juices. The bill does not specify whether or not milk containers would be included. In an effort to compromise with small retailers, SB 375 was also introduced to allow for separate off site redemption centers and allow small stores to refuse empty bottles in the event of a redemption center within one mile of the store.
| CT General Assembly Session Moving Rapidly |
The 2008 session of the Connecticut General Assembly, which will adjourn May 7th, is moving along rapidly. State Legislative Director Gordon Gibson says several bills of interest to Grangers have been introduced.
House Bill 5137 would create an income tax credit for individuals donating land or easements for conservation purposes. Businesses have been allowed to take a credit for land and easements they have donated since 1999, but individuals have not.
Senate Bill 126 would require all state and local health officials to use standards provided by the Department of Agriculture when inspecting farmers’ markets. Since most farmers’ markets operate for only a few hours on one or two days each week, many farmers take their products to multiple markets, but it is hard to comply with regulations from one market to another since local inspectors currently must use their own judgment concerning proper handling and display of products. This is particularly a problem with products requiring refrigeration, such as dairy, eggs, and meat.
House Bill 5136 would require the Commissioner of Agriculture to develop and implement a plan for the continued viability of Connecticut dairy farms. Many dairy farmers are selling their herds and going out of business because it costs more to produce milk than they receive for it. With consumers willing to pay higher prices for fresh local food products, a plan is needed to ensure the viability of dairy farms, as well as funding to implement the plan’s recommendations.
House Bill 5139 would create a task force to study cruelty to animals and recommend changes in the law. The task force would consist of the Commissioner of Agriculture (or someone he designates to represent him) and eleven appointed members. The CT Department of Agriculture is concerned that the appointed members could all be animal rights activists who would press for legislation unreasonably restricting the proper care of livestock. |
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Maine - By Steven Haycock, ME State Grange |
| ME Grange Opposes Governor’s Merger Proposal |
The Maine State Grange recently adopted policy to oppose Governor John Baldacci’s plan to merge the Departments of Agriculture, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Conservation, and Marine Resources. State Master James Owens stated that, “The Maine State Grange has for many years supported agriculture in the State of Maine. We believe that the continued well being of our citizens is sustained by our agricultural base, and diluting the Department of Agriculture will not be in the best interest of anyone.”
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New Hampshire - By Jim Tetreault, NH State Grange Legislative Director |
| Northeast Region State Granges Set Joint Legislative Priorities |
In January, representatives of the Northeastern State Granges’ legislative departments and agriculture committees met in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for their annual Northeast Leaders Conference. States included in the Northeast region Grange Leaders conference are, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The regional Grange leaders put forth the following set of regional legislative priorities: Agricultural Trade, Dairy Policy, Environmental Pollution, Food Security, Land Use, Transportation, and Voter Registration. For more information, visit http://northeast.mygrange.org. As follow-up, the Northeast Region legislative and agriculture Grange leaders are organizing a Fly In to Washington DC in May to meet directly with members of the U.S. Congressional delegations from the Northeast region to discuss national and regional Grange legislative priorities for 2008.
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New York - By Roger Halbert, NY State Grange Legislative Director |
| NY Grangers to Host Legislative Conferences |
Two New York Granges, Livonia Grange and Ross Grange in Livingston and Chautauqua Counties, respectively, will hold Regional Legislative Conferences in April. State and National Lawmakers, including US Representatives Thomas Reynolds and Brian Higgins, have been invited to the meetings, which will commence with a light breakfast and then move into formal visits with the legislators. According to NY State Grange Legislative Director Robert Halbert, the initiative of these Granges is helping our members to become “trusted conveyors of issues.”
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North Carolina - By Allison Fowler, NC State Grange Legislative Director |
| Agriculture Community Rallies Together |
Realizing the severity of dealing with the current North Carolina drought, the agricultural community has rallied together around a common cause. The Joint Legislative Committee on Agricultural Drought Response has received statistics, recommendations, and predictions about water use and resources, and policy recommendations by the agricultural community have a strong voice! The North Carolina Governor has also sent out his own policy recommendations, which go beyond the message of conservation. The NC State Grange has been an integral part of the process by having a presence at both informational and action oriented meetings.
| Navy Reverses Landing Field Proposal |
Five years ago, the Navy began talks of placing an outlying landing field (OLF) in several North Carolinian counties, but the State Grange’s lobbying efforts were instrumental in preventing the field from being built. Through letter writing, opposition statements during public hearings, contacting of NC Congressional Delegations, and visits to Washington, D.C., the Grange was able to help convince the Navy of the negative effects that such a plan would have on area wildlife, farmland, and residents, and on January 23rd, the Navy announced that the plan had been rejected.
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Ohio - By Gene Courtney, OH State Grange Legislative Director
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| The Ohio State Grange is supporting legislation updating state laws regarding equitable fence cost sharing between adjacent property owners that will more precisely spell out the responsibilities and rights of land owners related to private fencing agreements and reform local ordinances that govern recording and filing procedures for public records.
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Oregon - By Jim Welsh, OR State Grange Lobbyist
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| Oregon General Assembly Holds Special Legislative Session |
The Oregon General Assembly held its special legislative session and debated over 100 pieces of legislation. Two pieces of legislation that passed with the Grange’s support were HB 3618, the fix for the natural resource inheritance tax relief legislation passed in the 2007 Session, and SB 1069, providing grants for water studies related to conservation, reuse and storage. The inheritance tax fix should relieve the recipients of an inherited farm, ranch, or timberland or fishing business having a value of up to $7.5 million with a dollar for dollar tax credit. The Governor has also signed several other bills of interest to the agriculture community and rural Oregon. He signed HB 3601 requiring the Dept. of Education to establish Oregon Farm-to-School and School Garden Program; HJM 100, expressing support for all rural Oregonians and support for re-authorization of Secure Rural Schools Funding; SCR 23, special recognition for Oregon farmers and ranchers owning and operating the same farm or ranch for 150 years or more; and SB 1060, which establishes a number of certificates for income tax credits the Office of Rural Health may issue for participation in TRICARE medical system.
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Pennsylvania - By George Wolff, PA State Grange Lobbyist
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| PA Burns the Midnight Oil…and Does Laundry |
A bill that has passed the PA House of Representatives and is headed to the Senate would mandate the installation over a ten-year period of smart meters for all Pennsylvania households. Such meters would track and charge electricity usage based on the “time of day” use, allowing consumers to take advantage of performing many energy-intensive tasks during off-peak hours to take advantage of the cost savings, i.e. using major appliances after normal working hours – doing the laundry, running the dishwasher, etc. later in the evening when rates are lower. Coinciding with the installation of smart meters would be a required reduction for utilities in overall energy output by 2.5 % (and peak demand by 4%) by May of 2013. These measures are the beginning of many coming attempts by legislators to mitigate the impact of much higher fuel costs when the electric rate caps are removed statewide in 2010 and 2011. Projections of price increases between 30 and 50 percent of existing rates have legislators scrambling to find ways to reduce that rate shock current.
| House of Representatives Declares Grange Month |
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HR 683 declaring April 2008 as “Grange Month” in Pennsylvania in recognition of the Pennsylvania State Grange and its dedication to personal growth, service to others and the strengthening of families and communities and encourage all citizens to acknowledge and applaud the achievements of the Pennsylvania State Grange. Special Thanks to Representative Art Hershey for sponsoring this resolution in the PA House of Representatives.
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Vermont - By James Ballard, VT State Grange Legislative Director
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| Vermont State Grange Holds Successful Legislative Day |
Despite bad weather, Grangers braved the elements and attended a Legislative Day. The event started with Vermont Governor Douglas signing a proclamation declaring April 2008 as Grange Month. Since the House was in session, a number of Grange members went to watch the proceedings. Afterward, a luncheon was held with Grange members, lawmakers, state officials and invited guests in attendance. Both the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor joined the group. Following the reception, speakers discussed various issues including railroad farm crossings. Legislation has been introduced which would make landowners responsible for all railroad crossings that adjoin farm property. Vermont may be the test case for this legislation.
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Washington - By Scott Dahlman, WA State Grange Legislative Liaison
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Washington State Grange Backed Legislation Upheld by U.S. Supreme Court |
The Washington State Grange is applauding a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of Initiative 872, which created a top-two (or open) primary. The old primary system, known as the blanket primary, was one of the nation’s oldest primary systems and allowed Washington voters to split their ballot in primary elections. The Supreme Court struck down that system in 2000.
Initiative 872 was approved by Washington voters in 2004 but was never implemented due to legal challenges by the Democratic and Republican parties. The first use of the top-two primary will be this August.
| Conservation Market Bill is on Governor’s Desk |
Washington State’s SB 6805 has been passed by the State House and Senate and is now awaiting Governor Christine Gregoire’s signature. The Grange-backed “Conservation Markets Study Bill” directs the State Conservation Commission to study how conservation markets could be used in the state to help farmers see a benefit for environmental stewardship and to consider the potential benefit of conservation markets to small forest landowners. Though the Governor is expected to sign the bill, the State Grange is continuing to support it as it must clear one last hurdle – a clause that will nullify the bill’s directives if funding for it should be cut from the state’s budget.
| Governor, State Senate Honor Washington State Grange |
The Washington State Senate unanimously passed Resolution 8712 on Thursday, February 21, honoring the Grange for its rich history in the state and recognizing the Grange’s continual influence on public policy. State Senator Marilyn Rasmussen, a long time member of the Ohop Grange, sponsored the legislation, and past State Masters Rob Horgen and Terry Hunt were recognized by the Senate as well. Governor Christine Gregoire also signed a Proclamation to honor the Grange and designate April 13-19, 2008, as Grange Week in the state.
| Bill Adds Climate Change Goal to GMA |
The Washington Environmental Council (WEC) is supporting legislation to include climate change in the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) for consideration by counties in the state when drafting their growth management plans. The idea has been manifested in Washington State Senate Bill 6580 and House Bill 2797, both of which have been passed out of their policy committees but not their fiscal committees.
Says Washington State Legislative Director Terry Hunt, “While we believe that the GMA needs to be reviewed, we feel that these bills would put an undue burden on local governments. We are still figuring out how to address climate change at the State and National levels, so it is irresponsible to expect local governments to have the expertise to include climate change impact in their growth management plans.”
| Washington State Legislative Liaison Discusses National Farm Bill Priorities |
This past January, Washington State Grange Legislative Liaison Scott Dahlman met with the Washington State Congressional Delegation and representatives from the USDA in Washington DC to talk about the Grange’s priorities for this year’s Farm Bill. Dahlman expressed concern over possible barriers to the continuation of generational farming, as well as the needs to bring telecommunications infrastructure to rural areas and continue funding for the Washington State University Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Building. Finally, he urged inclusion of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) provisions in the new Farm Bill, as well as USDA funding for them, since a lack of funding caused non-implementation of COOL as it was outlined in the 2002 Farm Bill.
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