02/23/07 Some budget numbers; a bull sale

Washington Ag February 23, 2007 A new budget panel in the state House unveiled this week a small but significant spending plan for the next two years which could be a preview of the full operating budget that will be coming out in a few weeks. Representative Kellie Linville of Bellingham chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Audit Review. Linville: "Priorities of government means there are certain things we should be doing and certain things we ought to let go. When you look at economic development, justice, ag, environmental protection . . . those are all priorities, and that`s what we looked at in this budget." The committee recommends spending 500-thousand dollars to create an Office of Farmland Preservation, something the governor proposed. There is 1.9 million to help small forestland owners. The Washington State Department of Agriculture would get 116 million dollars. There is 11 million dollars to create the Puget Sound Partnership, a new state agency that will oversee efforts to clean up the sound. The Cowman's Classic All Breed Bull Sale is coming up next Tuesday February 27th in Spokane at the Interstate Fairgrounds. The 12:30 p.m. sale will include over 123 bulls from all breeds. The second annual Cowman's Classic 4H and FFA Beef Judging Contest precedes the sale at 10 a.m. I'm Bob Hoff.