06/02/06 FB PAC endorses high court challengers

Washington Ag June 2, 2006 The Washington State Farm Bureau Political Action Committee has endorsed two challengers in this year's elections for the Washington Supreme Court. Farm Bureau spokesman Dean Boyer says the PAC endorsed Seattle attorney John Groen in his bid to unseat Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, and state Senator Stephen Johnson of Kent, who is running against Justice Susan Owens. Boyer: "It has become quite obvious that with an elected judiciary in this state that the decisions that our Supreme Court Justices make can have a tremendous impact on Washington farmers and ranchers and it is important for Washington Farm Bureau and our members to make our feelings know about those races." For a full list of the Farm Bureau PAC's endorsements check their website at www.wsfb.com Xianming Chen with USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Pullman says wheat stripe rust has begun to develop in wheat nurseries in the Palouse area though it was not found this week in commercial fields in the area. Chen expects growers will start seeing the rust in about a week and says susceptible varieties may need a fungicide treatment. I'm Bob Hoff.