03/17/08 Governor signs some bills of interest to ag

Washington Ag March 17, 2008 Governor Chris Gregoire has already signed several bills into law from the recently concluded legislative session of interest to agriculture. One of those is the "cougar bill" sponsored by Representative Joel Kretz, which extends the cougar-hunting-with-hounds pilot project through 2011. Senate Bill 6283 has also been signed. That covers circumstances under which a member of the Apple Commission may be removed. Legislation that modifies the number, appointments and qualifications of the Dairy Products Commission was also signed by the governor as was a bill providing an alternative method for weight tickets for transporting hay or straw. House Bill 2923 allows hay or straw processing facilities to provide weight tickets to truck drivers when they pick up their loads is the scale is approved by the state Ag Department. Governor Gregoire has also signed House Bill 2815, the Climate Change bill, which requires quantifiable reductions in greenhouse gas pollution. The Washington State Farm Bureau opposed the bill but its Director of State Affairs John Stuhlmiller, says they did get a substantive change included that requires any plan to have legislative approval. Stuhlmiller: "So we were able to get it to come back so you won't develop and implement a program at Ecology. Ecology will develop it and bring it back to the legislature for approval. So we are pleased with that. The best outcome we could have gotten." I'm Bob Hoff.