LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - February 21, 2003

The session has reached its halfway point.  Legislators went home on Thursday the 20^th and won’t be back until Wednesday the 26^th.  Here are some of the things that have happened since the last bulletin on February 18.

SB 2358, our railroad lease and indemnification bill, sailed through the Senate on Thursday morning by a vote of 46-0.  It is amended somewhat, and not as strong as it was when first introduced, but it is a whole lot better than our current situation.  Thank Senators and encourage Reps on this one.

HB 1486, the Wheat Commission checkoff bill, was passed by the House on Wednesday by a vote of 57-33.  The Wheat Commission, the Grain Dealers and the Farmers Union were all opposed.  Reasons were given in previous legislative bulletins and our testimony on the bill can be found at www.ndgda.org.  It puts grain elevators and the Wheat Commission in the position of collecting money for the ND Grain Growers Association and U.S. Durum Growers Association, whose combined memberships are 1,500 farmers out of 20,000 wheat growers in the state.  Refunding will increase and hurt the Wheat Commission’s program of market development and product promotion.   Sponsor Representative Gene Nicholas thinks the extra money to the grower groups is necessary for better lobbying in Washington, DC on crop insurance, disaster payments, and other federal farm legislation.  Next stop for this bill is the Senate Ag Committee, Senators Flakoll, Erbele, Klein, Nichols, Seymour and Urlacher.  Talk to them and other Senators. 

HB 1352 had the requirement for locks on anhydrous nurse tanks taken out, a pilot project of security measures in one area of North Dakota added, and then passed the House 66-27 on 2/18.

HB 1456, the shuttle train fee bill, was killed in the House by a 3-89 vote on 2/19. 

SB 2408 was the last remaining GMO bill.  It was radically amended to have NDSU keep an eye on things and given a 4-2 Do Pass out of the Senate Ag Committee.  When it hit the floor the amendments were approved 28-18, pretty much a Republican versus Democrat party line vote.  Then the bill was killed by a 1-45 vote, reportedly at the request of the prime sponsor. 

SB 2008, PSC budget including $250,000 for investigation into a rail rate complaint passed Senate 46-0.  Thank Senators and encourage Reps on this one.