The State Legislature is moving along well as we head into April and only 40 days left of the 2011 Legislative Session. However, the Joint Budget Committee still has no agreement on the State Budget for FY 2011-12 and therefore no ‘Long Bill’ has yet been released. CFB staff will be watching the Long Bill [...]
Archive for the ‘Legislative’ Category
31 Mar
Shawcroft Testifies Before Congress
CFB President Don Shawcroft testified before the House Natural Resources Committee today in Washington D.C. During the hearing titled “Harnessing American Resources to Create Jobs and Address Rising Gasoline Prices: Impacts on Businesses and Families,” Shawcroft told the assembled Representatives that Americans are experiencing sticker shock at the gas pump these days, but high fuel costs [...]
24 Mar
State Legislative Update
Despite a relatively quiet session, there was movement on many bill tracked by CFB this week. We expect to see the “Long Bill” (the State’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12) out by next week. It will be heard first in the Senate. That is when the real work will begin.
22 Mar
CFB ALERT – Support Ag Sales Tax Exemption
This week the Colorado House of Representatives will consider HB 1005. HB 1005 repeals HB 1195, signed into law in 2010, which suspended the exemption on state sales and use taxes imposed on certain items, Ag compounds and pesticides, used in agricultural production from the period March 1, 2010, through June 30, 2013. Repeal of HB [...]
19 Mar
Washington Recap
The U.S. Senate passed a three-week spending measure on Thursday to keep the government running through April 8. This measure contained about $6 billion in cuts to the federal budget. The House Committee on Agriculture, House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Energy and Commerce Committee all held hearing looking at the impact of [...]
18 Mar
State Legislative Update
HB 1123 prohibits financial transfers from severance related funds unto the general fund. This bill has successfully passed the House and will head to the Senate State Affairs Committee. It is being sponsored by Rep. Coram and Sen. Roberts. CFB is supportive.
14 Mar
Another Short Term Extension for the Federal Government
Ove the past few weeks you have seen information regarding the federal budget, CR’s and what is likely to happen. With the last CR extension about to run out last Friday, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) introduced H.J. Res. 48, a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government for an additional three [...]
11 Mar
State Legislative Update
The Senate Ag Committee moved two favorable measures forward to the Senate Floor this week with the passage of HB 1159 which allows the Commissioner of Agriculture to license a grain protein analyzer before the analyzer is operated for commercial use and HB 1083 which adds hydroelectricity and pumped hydro to the list of technologies that the [...]
11 Mar
House Panel Passes Bill Stripping EPA of GHG Authority
The House Energy and Power Subcommittee approved a bill Thursday that would strip EPA of its power to regulate greenhouse gases and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has promised the bill will come before the House floor within weeks. AFBF supports H.R. 919, the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, introduced by Energy and [...]
9 Mar
House Ag Committee Considering FIFRA Permitting Bill
The House Agriculture Committee passed, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, Wednesday. The bill, introduced by Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio), and Joe Baca (D-Calif.), reduces the regulatory burdens imposed by the National Cotton Council v. EPA case. The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging Congress to pass H.R. 872. The measure [...]
8 Mar
AFBF Urges House Members to Co-Sponsor NPDES Permit Bill
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman wrote to members of the House today urging them to support passage of H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, and sign on as co-sponsors. “In addition to agricultural producers, a significant number of stakeholders will be impacted by a new federal requirement under which the [...]
4 Mar
State Legislative update
Bills moving forward….. as we are getting to the half way point of the Colorado 2011 Legislative Session. To date there has been 273 House Bills and 185 Senate Bills plus a handful of Resolutions introduced. That is about 80 or so bills less than there was at this time last session. Many would credit this to [...]
3 Mar
House Ag Committee Hearings
Today I received the follow notice for hearing to be held by the House Agriculutre Committee. WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture announced the following committee schedule.
3 Mar
EPA Announces SPCC Workshops
The past couple weeks I have received calls from CFB members about EPA’s SPCC program. This program is aimed at reducing oil spills and controlling them if they do happen. Depending on how much oil and oil products you store on your farm, this regulations may affect you directly.
3 Mar
The EPA, NPDES pemits, pesticides and you
This winter as you have talked with your friends I am sure that the EPA somehow entered the conversation. Be it spray nozzle regulations, attempts to regulate dust, making sure that water is safe from spilled milk or generally just being a pain and hassle, the EPA seems to be everywhere.
3 Mar
AFBF Backs Bill to Preempt EPA GHG Regulations
AFBF supports the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 that House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) plans to introduce today. Upton’s bill would preempt regulation of greenhouse gases by the Environmental Protection Agency based on climate change considerations. “The regulation of GHG does not fit within the current framework of the Clean Air [...]
1 Mar
Latest on Possible Government Shutdown
Last week I wrote a piece on The Pulse about a possible government shutdown, this Friday will see the end of the current continuing resolution (CR) that the federal government is currently working under. If Congress is unable to come to terms on another CR by 11:59pm on Friday the government will shut down for [...]
25 Feb
State Legislative Update
Referred to the Voters!!! Victory for SCR – 001 (Ballot Measure Initiative Reform) successfully passed the full Senate and House this week with greater than 2/3rds support from both chambers in order to become a referred measure on the 2012 Ballot. Troy Bredenkamp, Exec. VP for CFB, testified as the voice for agriculture and rural [...]
23 Feb
Farm Program Cuts Not Part of Continuing Resolution
In an early Saturday morning vote, the House approved H.R.1, the continuing resolution to fund the federal government for the rest of this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, that includes $60 billion in spending cuts and a number of amendments designed to impede President Barack Obama from carrying out his policies Final passage came [...]
22 Feb
Committee to Hold Oversight Hearing on Interior Department
Today I received the following notice, located below, from the House Natural Resources Committee. This issue is one of great inportance to CFB members because this order basically decalres Congress null and void when determining what is wilderness.
21 Feb
Notes From the House Ag Committee Hearing
HB 1150 – Rep. Becker’s Concerning additional revenues for water storage projects bill was PI’d (LOST) in Committee on Monday. Rep. Becker had worked out an agreement with DNR and been in communication with Rep. Sonnenberg to see this deal through, that if Rep. Becker pulled the bill DNR would require that DOW designate funds [...]
21 Feb
The Federal Budget, the CR, and You
Potential Government Shutdown Could Affect Producers It is strongly advised that if you need to do business with an FSA office, BLM office or any other federal government office, do it before March 4. As you no doubt have heard the House of Representatives spent the majority of last week debating what is known as [...]
18 Feb
State Legislative Update
Here is a highlight of some of the major happenings from the Colorado State House and Senate this week:
18 Feb
Amendment Debate on H.R. 1 Continues in House
After three days of debate on H.R. 1, the continuing resolution to fund the government for the remainder of this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, the House has considered more than 80 of 583 amendments, either by voting on them, declaring them out of order or having them withdrawn. A unanimous consent agreement has [...]
18 Feb
Washington Recap
The House of Representatives: House Floor: The House spent the majority of the week considering amendments to H.R. 1, the Continuing Resolutions Act of 2011. This measure would fund the United States government until later in 2011 when the FY2012 federal budget is considered. At the time of writing this, a final vote had not [...]
18 Feb
Amendment Seeks to Kill Funding for Wild Horse Managment
Debate continues today on the Continuing Resolution in the U.S. The bill would fund the government for the rest of the current fiscal year. Many amendments have been proposed and AFBF has taken a position on 22 of them. Today an amendment was approved that would cut $2 million from the Bureau of Land Management’s [...]
14 Feb
Budget Day!
President Obama is set to release his $3.73-trillion, 216-page budget for FY 2012 today at 10:30 a.m. est. For the current year, the White House projects a $1.6 trillion deficit. Outlays would drop in 2012 and stabilize in the $3.7 trillion range as deficits fall to $1.1 trillion in 2012 and then $768 billion in 2013. [...]
11 Feb
Legislative Briefs…
The Colorado General Assembly has got down to business this week, addressing numerous pieces of legislation. The Senate has been dealing with supplemental bills, trying to refill the hole in this current fiscal year’s general fund budget. Those measures will move to the House next week. Last week Farm Bureau assisted in killing SB 17, [...]
11 Feb
Washington D.C. Recap
This week was a light week in Washington, DC because of CPAC holding their annual meeting. House of Representatives: House Floor: The House met for 2 days this week. The House began debate on extending expiring provision of the USAPatriot Act.
11 Feb
Washington Egg Bills Aim to Short-circuit HSUS Initiative
Egg producers in Washington are working to prempt HSUS and its planned ballot measure to limit the food choice of citizens in the state. Two bills which carry bipartisan support are working their way through the Washington legislature would establish minimum standards for egg laying hen farms. The bills would codify the United Egg Producer [...]
Shawn Martini
Chad Vorthmann
Rachel Vermillion
Garin Vorthmann
Crystal Korrey
Troy B
El Sagehorn
Brent Boydston
