2022 IAT Legislature and Ag

Senator Van Burtenshaw, Chairman of the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee spoke with Food Producers at the 2022 Legislative session and said he needs their help to let him know what kinds of legislation can help with the needs of Idaho agriculture.

“It’s hard for us to look at a business and say we need to change this in your business. We need them to come to us so that we can help them as their legislative arm,” said Burtenshaw.

Burtenshaw also has ideas for projects he’d like to see funded in this year’s budget.

“Well, I’d like to see more recharge. We’re putting about 500,000 acre feet in the ground every year, it’s not quite enough. It sustains our aquifer but if we have a dry year our aquifer level falls. So, it’s sustainable but we need more of that, I’d like to see that happen,” said Burtshaw. “In the Mackay Reservoir, that dam it was built in 1949 it looks like it was put together with railroad ties and gravel, it needs to be replaced. That’s a $10 million project. That will help ag and industry.”

“It’s the foundation of our economy,” said Kauffman. “There’s a lot of different moving parts and parts of the economy in Idaho but agriculture is the base. The ancillary things that come from agriculture, and production agriculture is far reaching across the state,” said Kauffman.