Ohio Liberty Council

Source: Gongwer News Service

AGRICULTURE GROUPS CONSIDER ANIMAL FEED FEE INCREASE TO FUND NEW LIVESTOCK BOARD

The major agriculture groups that banded together to help pass Issue 2 last fall are now hashing out details of how the newly created Livestock Care Standards Board will operate – and how the agency will be funded.

A draft version of legislation to implement the constitutional amendment would provide $500,000 a year to the new board through a fee hike on commercial livestock feed. The current $0.25 per ton rate would increase to $0.40 per ton over three years.

OLC Editor’s Note:

The Ohio Office of Budget and Management and Ohio Farm Bureau estimated $100,000 to $176,703 and now here we are at $500,000/year.  Watch Keith Stimpert of Ohio Farm Bureau tell us that all of this will be open to public debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzdUugnf4lQ

Senate President Bill Harris (R-Ashland) has identified Issue 2 implementing legislation as a priority for the chamber in the New Year.

OLC Editor’s Note:

Priority is code word for “emergency”.

Keith Stimpert, Ohio Farm Bureau’s senior vice president of public policy, said he hopes the legislature takes up the proposal soon to show voters that farmers are serious about addressing the animal care issue. OFB was a primary supporter of the Issue 2 campaign.

“We want to show the voters of Ohio that this was truly a sincere effort,” he said.

Issue 2 opponents, including the Humane Society of the United States, have said the ballot issue was designed to preempt their effort to impose tougher livestock care regulations. HSUS is considering a separate constitutional amendment campaign this year.

OLC Editor’s Note:

HSUS President, Wayne Pacelle, has stated in his online blog that they “need to launch a ballot initiative” in 2010.

Mr. Stimpert said he has not yet heard of any serious objections to the fee increase proposal from the state’s major agriculture groups.

“I think its got some merit from the standpoint that its an existing activity and we understand that we are going to have to find some dollars to put forth a quality program,” he said.

OLC Editor’s Note:

What was that you said about public debate again?

Another funding option that was considered involved the creation of a new assessment to fund board activities, according to a source involved in the discussions.

One major issue that remains the subject of negotiations is how livestock operations would be regulated and inspected, Mr. Stimpert said.

“The options are: is it completely complaint-driven, is it ongoing and existing inspections, or would there even be a voluntary program where people step forward to do extra stuff in a certification program?” he said. “I think those kinds of things have to be determined yet.”

Contention between small family-owned farmers and large agribusiness operators, which came into play during the Issue 2 campaign, could also color debate over the implementing language. However, Mr. Stimpert was confident that the measure could strike an appropriate balance.

“We want to make sure that there’s no major burden on the smaller farms, yet we also have to acknowledge that we have to achieve a standard of care for all livestock in Ohio,” he said. “I think we can define a protocol here through the work of the board that assures care for the animal, but balances large and small farms.”

In addition to adopting standards of livestock care, the board would also have the authority to establish civil fines for violators, according to the draft legislation.

Mr. Stimpert said the Farm Bureau has been getting requests for assistance from other state organizations that are seeking to address similar animal care issues. “I think we can be a leader here and I think we can assure the consumer that a standard of care exists here in Ohio and that producers are aggressively pursuing that level.”