Ag Economy Bill Fails Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. A bill that could have helped with the financial consequences of certain legislation on the ag industry has died in Olympia.
Pam Lewison, Ag Director at the Washington Policy Center says HB 5117 would have introduced a mechanism for assessing the fiscal impact proposed legislation could have on agriculture …
LEWISON … “5117 was a teeny, little bill, actually. And it would have basically made out legislature pump the brakes a little bit on new policy that came through the legislature and ask them to think about, you know, what is the legislation potentially going to do to our farms and ranches moving forward.”
Lewison says it would have created a fiscal note …
LEWISON … “What impact is this going to have financially on our farm communities. And the cost of it was really miniscule, $246,000 this legislative session and then an ongoing cost of just $113,000 for the next couple of biennium’s after that.”
That, Lewison says is what some would call “budget dust” …
LEWISON … “It did not make it out of Senate Ways and Means this session which is really unfortunate because it was really meant to be a protectionary measure for one of the largest economic fillers in our state.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on WHY Lewison feels bills like that don’t make it.
