Setting goals on state and national agriculture issues. Issues important to agriculture and rural Texas. They are vast, complicated and misunderstood. That’s why the Texas Farm Bureau board—with direction from county Farm Bureau leaders throughout the policy development process—annually sets a roadmap for leaders and staff to follow. So those issues most important to agriculture and rural Texas get the attention they deserve.
State Priorities: 88th Texas Legislature
Property Rights
Oppose unnecessary regulatory authority over the use of private property. Continue to ensure property owners’ rights are protected under eminent domain law.
Water
Protect the rights of landowners and agricultural producers to surface water and groundwater. Oppose legislation that attempts to take any constitutionally protected rights to water.
Taxes
Ensure state tax policy does not adversely impact or burden agricultural producers or the agricultural industry. Protect the current state tax provisions that limit the burden on producing food, fiber and other agricultural products for consumers.
Right to Farm
Protect the rights of agricultural producers to engage in normally accepted agricultural practices on their land.
Transportation
Ensure vehicle, trailer and driver license regulations do not adversely impact or burden agricultural producers or the agricultural industry.
Animal Care
Protect the ability of agricultural producers to utilize generally accepted, scientifically proven production practices for livestock, poultry and other animals present on agricultural operations.
Feral Hog Control
Support reasonable chemical controls for feral hogs. Support maintaining all current legal methods of controlling feral hogs.
Truth in Labeling
Support making it illegal to use deceptive labeling of food products to influence consumers to purchase the product.
Sunset Legislation
Ensure that sunset legislation of state agencies related to agriculture or TFB priority issues benefits our members.
Rural Connectivity
Expand broadband and cellular access to provide more opportunity in rural areas.
National Priorities: 118th Congress, Second Session
Farm Bill
Participate in the upcoming farm bill to ensure the concerns of Texas agricultural producers are addressed and the safety net is strengthened.
Disaster Assistance
Work to make certain disaster assistance is delivered in a timely, equitable, and efficient manner.
Border Security
Work to help secure the border and assist farm and ranch families experiencing issues with illegal immigration.
Trade
Strengthen and enforce existing trade agreements and enact new trade deals that benefit agriculture.
Ag Labor
Secure changes to the agricultural guest worker program to help address the farm labor shortage.
1944 Water Treaty
Work toward solutions to force Mexico to abide by the 1944 Water Treaty and ensure annual delivery of water to the U.S.
Rural Connectivity
Expand broadband and cellular access to provide more opportunity in rural areas.
Livestock/Crop Protection
Maintain funding for control and eradication of invasive species and prevent introduction of foreign animal diseases.
Regulatory Reform
Fight against federal regulations that could impact farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to operate.