By Julie Tomascik
Editor

The Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Leadership Conference, set for Feb. 6-7 in Austin, offers farmers and ranchers from across the state the opportunity to meet with legislators and get the latest on what’s happening in the 88th Legislative Session.

“This conference will allow us to discuss policy issues, the legislative session and hear from and meet with legislators,” TFB Director of Government Affairs Regan Beck said. “This meeting is especially important because the legislative session will have just kicked off, and we can get some much-needed face time with our elected officials.”

Legislative items to be discussed during the meeting include right to farm, truth in labeling and tax abatements.

Local municipalities are enacting ordinances to regulate farms and ranches as a nuisance or threat to public health and safety. Strengthening right to farm legislation would help preserve statutory protections to ensure farms and ranches can continuing operating, even if they are within city limits.

Truth in labeling of meat products will be back on the session agenda. The bill will ensure food labeled as containing meat products does not falsely or misleadingly include alternative protein sources.

The reauthorization of the Texas Economic Development Act, Tax Code Chapter 313, will also be a point of discussion in the upcoming session. This temporary school tax abatement has been available to large-scale capital investments. Historically, the approved projects are manufacturing or energy-related, including solar and wind.

“These are just a few of the topics we’ll cover during the conference and this upcoming legislative session,” Beck said. “We hope to see many Farm Bureau members in attendance and visiting with their elected officials.”

Registration for the conference will begin Monday, Feb. 6, at 9 a.m. The opening general session will be held from 2:30 to 5 p.m., followed by a group dinner.

On Feb. 7, a morning session will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. After a group luncheon, buses will depart for the Capitol so members can visit with legislators.

“We’ll be glad to be back to normal and have visits with legislators in the Capitol since we were limited last session due to the COVID pandemic,” Beck said.

A tentative agenda is available here.

Contact Betsy Simon at bsimon@txfb.org or call 1-800-537-8294 with questions about reservations.