LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN - March 21, 2003

Negotiations and proposed amendments are still being discussed between railroads and Grain Dealers on SB 2358, railroad lease and indemnification.  Railroads fight tooth and nail against supervision of their leases and site sale prices, or accepting liability.  The House Transportation Committee is expected to take action on the bill next Thursday.

HB 1372, regarding blocking crossings, has been amended.   There has been and remains a ten minute limit in the law.  The amendment raises the penalty for violation to a class B misdemeanor punishable by a $1000 fine and/or 60 days in jail.  This does not apply to cities that have ordinances that apply to this subject.  This bill must go to a House-Senate conference committee if approved this way by the Senate.

SB 2008, PSC budget and $250,000 for rail rate complaint is still in the hands of subcommittee Reps Koppelman, Carlson, and Glassheim.

The Senate Ag Committee put an amendment on HB 1486 Thursday and gave it a Do Pass recommendation.  The amendment reduces the wheat checkoff back to its current 10 mill level and says the Commission may use the money raised by up to two mills for "providing market maintenance and development services, utilization research, transportation research, and education; addressing domestic policy issues; and engaging in other related activities; or the purposes of" contracting for those services with up to two private trade associations.  The Commission will have to report to the legislature on its involvement in domestic policy issues when it gives its usual report.

The Commission has been able to contract for any amount in the past and has been doing that for 0.8 mill.  This amendment clarifies in statute their ability to do that and puts a two-mill limit on it.  It also allows the Commission to work on domestic policy issues itself, without doing it through contracting with grower groups.  This bill is headed for a House-Senate conference committee.  This amendment appears to satisfy the major concern of those opposed to the bill.

HB 1403 was heard in Senate Transportation today.  It deals with disposition of abandoned railroad right of way and adjacent property.  It looks like operators of fixed assets on the property will come first, some public uses second, and adjoining land owners third.