By Julie Tomascik
Editor

A new year brings new legislative and advocacy efforts for Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).

“Farm Bureau will make sure the Voice of Texas Agriculture is heard in both Austin and Washington, D.C. during the sessions this year,” Regan Beck, TFB Government Affairs director, said.

State priorities
Thousands of bills are expected to be filed in the 140-day regular session, but TFB will focus on 10 legislative priority issues set by the state board of directors.

TFB will continue to prioritize protecting property rights by opposing unnecessary regulatory authority over the use of private property and to continue to ensure that property owners’ rights are protected under eminent domain law.

“We know our state is rapidly changing and growing, and we want to make sure private property rights are protected,” Beck said.

In addition to property rights, TFB is prioritizing right to farm legislation to make sure farmers and ranchers are able to engage in normally accepted agricultural practices on their land.

“Local municipalities are enacting ordinances to regulate farms and ranches as a nuisance or threat to public health and safety,” Beck said. “Common-sense changes to the state’s agriculture code are needed to preserve current right to farm statutory protections.”

Truth in labeling of meat products is also a priority again this session. TFB believes legislation is needed to make it illegal to use deceptive labeling of food products to influence consumers to purchase the products.

Other issues central to farming, ranching and rural prosperity are on the organization’s agenda as state legislative priority issues.

Beck noted water—groundwater or surface water—is an important issue for agriculture.

“Protecting the rights of farmers, ranchers and landowners to surface water and groundwater is critical,” Beck said. “We will oppose legislation that attempts to take away any constitutionally-protected rights to water.”

Taxes and land use regulation are also among the state priority issues.

TFB will work to ensure state tax policy does not adversely impact or burden farmers, ranchers or the agricultural industry. The organization will also advocate to protect the current state tax provisions that limit the burden on producing food, fiber and other agricultural products for consumers.

With the feral hog population on the rise, the threats to fields, pastures, livestock and farm income are also increasing.

Farm Bureau supports legalizing reasonable chemical controls for feral hogs and supports all legal methods of controlling feral hogs.

“Feral hogs are destructive, and they continue to wreak havoc on Texas farms and ranches,” Beck said. “Despite the best efforts through trapping, hunting, aerial shooting and state incentivized depopulation programs, the feral hog population still is not at a manageable level. Farm Bureau supports legislative action that would provide additional methods to control the invasive species.”

Other state priority issues named by the TFB board of directors includes: sunset legislation, animal care, rural connectivity and transportation.

National priorities
On the national level, TFB will focus on eight issues, including the farm bill.

“TFB will participate in the formulation of the upcoming farm bill to ensure the needs of Texas farmers and ranchers are addressed and an effective safety net is maintained,” Beck said.

Working to strengthen and enforce existing trade agreements and enacting new trade deals that benefit agriculture is also on the organization’s agenda for national efforts.

Ag labor and the food supply chain are two issues that were highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to remain concerns today.

“Agriculture needs a reliable, legal workforce, and legislation that addresses both farmer and worker concerns would provide certainty and job security in rural Texas,” Beck said.

Efforts to expand rural connectivity and ensure federal regulations don’t negatively impact farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to operate are also among the national priorities for TFB.

Securing the border and assisting farm and ranch families experiencing issues with illegal immigration remains a priority, as well.

“Farm and ranch families, many of whom have owned land for generations, are bearing the brunt of this unprecedented influx,” Beck said. “Landowners are experiencing cut fences, destroyed crops, compromised water sources, vandalism, litter on their property and more. Most importantly, the security and safety of these families are at stake given the current circumstances at the border.”

Also on the agenda is to maintain funding for control and eradication of invasive species and prevent introduction of foreign animal diseases.

More information
For more information on the legislative priorities, visit texasfarmbureau.org/advocacy.

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