No. 4 2/8/07
Hearings and briefings next week include:
S.B. 148/ H.B. 133 – Natural
Resources – Chesapeake Bay – Oyster Restoration – The Administration
EDUCATION, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS; 2 West Miller at 1:00pm
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS, 250 Taylor House Office Building on 2/14/07 at 1:00pm
The bill allows DNR to lease tracts or parcels of land beneath the waters of the
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to residents of the State for oyster
“restoration.” Current law allows the lease (known as “oyster bottom”) for
“protecting, sowing, bedding or cultivating oysters or other shellfish. Current
law prohibits DNR from leasing any submerged areas within the jurisdictional
boundaries of Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset and Talbot Counties. This
bill applies that prohibition to “restoration” as well. Oyster “restoration” for
the purpose of the leased bottoms means the planting of not less than 250,000
clutched oysters on suitable ground or substrate in an area that is ecologically
suitable for oyster growth. The bill strengthens penalties for a person who
unlawfully takes oysters from a reserve or sanctuary. The bill also establishes
an 11 member Task Force on Oyster Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. MARYLAND
FARM BUREAU SUPPORTS S.B. 148 & H.B. 133.
S.B. 215 – Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection
Program – Advisory Committee – Senator Colburn
EDUCATION, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, 2 West Miller at 1:00pm
This bill creates the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area
Protection Program Advisory Committee. The Committee will study and recommend
potential legislative reforms of the growth allocation process in the state’s
Critical Area. Specifically, the Committee will develop criteria and identify
Resource Conservation Area lands in the State that should not be subject to
growth allocation because of their environmental sensitivity and value. The
Committee will consist of 10 members. One each from the House and Senate
Environment Committees. One each from the following organizations: Critical
Areas Commission, DNR, CBF, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, The Nature
Conservancy, University Systems of Maryland, Dept. of Planning and the Maryland
State Builders Association.
MARYLAND FARM BUREAU BELIEVES THERE SHOULD BE REPRESENTATION FROM THE MD
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARM BUREAU ON THE COMMITTEE.
H.B. 220 – Vehicle Laws – Special Commemorative Registration Plates – Sunset
Provisions – Delegate Beidle
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS; 250 Taylor House Office Building at 1:00pm
This bill will extend the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Chesapeake Bay
Commemorative Plate and the special registration plate honoring agriculture (Ag
Tag) programs until 2013. They were scheduled to sunset in 2008. Funds generated
through the sale of Ag Tags have helped support the Maryland Agriculture
Education Foundation in their efforts to bring agricultural education to over
3,000 teachers and 150,000 students annually in Maryland. MARYLAND FARM BUREAU
SUPPORTS H.B. 220.
H.B. 261 – Motor Vehicles – All-Terrain Vehicles – Protective Headgear –
Delegate Kullen
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS; 250 Taylor House Office Building at 1:00pm
This bill requires anyone under the age of 16 to wear a helmet when riding an
ATV.
MARYLAND FARM BUREAU IS URGING THAT ATV’S USED AS FARM VEHICLES BE EXEMPTED FROM
THE BILL.
S.B. 140 – Queen Anne’s County – Motor Fuel Tax –
Exemption for Biodiesel Fuel – Senator Pipkin
BUDGET AND TAXATION; 3 West Miller Senate Office Building at 1:00pm
The bill adds an additional exemption to the motor fuels tax for biodiesel fuel
that is bought for use in Queen Anne’s County government vehicles and school
buses. The current exemptions are for: motor fuel that is exported from MD,
special fuel (such as dyed fuel not for use in licensed motor vehicles or used
for heating), fuel used for aviation, and fuel that is bought by the Dept. of
General Services for use by State agencies. FOR INFORMATION ONLY
S.B. 182 – Maryland Estate Tax – Unified Credit Effective Exemption Amount and
Deduction for State Death Taxes – Senator Greenip
BUDGET AND TAXATION; 3 West Miller Senate Office Building at 1:00pm
This bill repeals the provisions of the Maryland Estate Tax that were enacted in
2004 by recoupling Maryland estate tax law to the gradual increases in the
unified credit allowed against the federal estate tax. The federal credit is now
$2 million and is scheduled to increase to $3.5 million in 2009.
MARYLAND FARM BUREAU SUPPORTS S.B. 182.
H.B. 133 – Natural Resources – Chesapeake Bay – Oyster Restoration-
The Administration - ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS, 250 Taylor HOB at 1:00pm
(See explanation listed on Tuesday, February 13th under S.B. 148)
H.B. 303 Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern
Shore of Maryland – Membership – Immunity Delegate Cane
H.B. 322 – Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore – Wicomico County –
Membership – Delegate Conway
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS; 250 Taylor House Office Building at 1:00pm
These bills alter the voting memberships of the council to include the County
Executive and 4 county council members of Wicomico County. This change is being
requested because Wicomico recently enacted their Charter form of government
with an elected executive and county council dividing legislative and executive
powers for the county. H.B. 303 is identical, but with an additional provision
ensuring the TCCLS is immune from being sued. FOR INFORMATION ONLY
S.B. 261 – Biodiesel Renewable Fuel Act – Senator Garagiola
FINANCE; 3 East Miller Senate Office Building at 1:00pm
This bill would establish a statewide mandate on the amount of B2 (98% diesel
and 2% biodiesel) blend biodiesel sold by retail service stations. Contingent
upon verification by the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture that production of
biodiesel in the state is sufficient: by Jan. 1, 2009 at least 2% of the diesel
sold in the state each year must be biodiesel; by Jan. 1, 2012 at least 5% must
be biodiesel. The bill would also require MDA and the Comptroller to create an
Advisory Committee by Jan. 1, 2008 to implement the bill and make yearly reports
regarding implementation issues, compliance, and any advances in renewable
fuels. MARYLAND FARM BUREAU SUPPORTS S.B. 261.
HB 50 - Budget Bill – Governor O’Malley
MDA Budget Hearing
BUDGET AND TAXATION; 4-A Miller Senate Office Building at 1:00pm
This bill provides for an overall budget of just over $30 billion for Fiscal
Year 2008. This is a 2.5% increase over FY07 funding. The funding increases are
in school construction, higher education, public safety, environment &
agriculture, health, jobs & growth. There is a 2% pay increase for state
employees. In agricultural funding, the bill provides for $8.5 million for cover
crops (the same as FY07); $1 million in new funding for the Soil Conservation
Districts (includes 12 new field positions); $3 million for MARBIDCO; $70
million for MALPF (which includes state, local and federal funding and is down
from $89 million in FY07); no funding for Gypsy Moth Suppression; a reduction in
the Nutrient Management Cost Share Program of $140,000 ($300,000 in FY07); and
an increase in funding for U of MD nutrient management consultant of $220,000
(to maintain current staffing).
MARYLAND FARM BUREAU SUPPORTS CURRENT OR INCREASED FUNDING FOR ALL MDA PROGRAMS.
USDA ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION USER GUIDE
USDA has published in the Federal Register a notice of availability for the
draft User Guide for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Also
included in the notice are two additional documents: a Program Standards and
Technical Reference, and technical specifications for the animal tracking
databases. USDA initially posted the User Guide document on the NAIS website in
November 2006 with a request for comments, and Farm Bureau submitted initial
thoughts and suggestions. The 60+-page guide is available at
http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/documents/guidelines/NAIS-UserGuide.pdf.
USDA announced Friday a request for proposals (RFP) from nonprofit livestock and
poultry industry organizations that wish to enter into cooperative agreements
with USDA for premises registration. The RFP can be found at www.grants.gov.
Up to $6 million is available to fund selected agreements. In order to qualify,
an organization must fulfill one of the following criteria:
A nonprofit, nationally-based organization representing the
livestock or poultry industry;
A nonprofit tribal organization or association that did not
receive funding from the NAIS for fiscal year (FY) 2007 through a cooperative
agreement;
An authorized agent working on behalf of a tribe, group of
tribes, or inter-tribal council that received funding for FY 2007 to conduct
premises registration, but that wishes to expand its existing outreach;
An 1890 historically black land-grant college or university;
or
A 1994 tribal land-grant institution.
The User Guide includes an overview of the NAIS, and sections on premises
registration, animal identification, and animal tracking. Also included are a
terminology glossary and contact information.
AFBF will continue to stress the issue of confidentiality in formal comments.
Confidentiality is repeatedly mentioned in the User Guide. However, the
document does not reflect that the USDA’s presumption of confidentiality has
never been court-tested, so the data cannot actually be proven confidential.
Neither does it mention the role of state sunshine laws and FOIA exemptions,
which are an important element since most data is collected at the state level.
The premises registration agreements are intended to continue progress toward
registering all livestock premises in the U.S. Last month, USDA formed its
first organization partnership with the National Pork Board and National Pork
Producers Council, providing $400,000 to register the remaining 60 percent of
swine farms by the end of the year.
USDA reached its goal of 25 percent of premises registered by January 31. The
latest premises registration report by state is attached, as well as posted on
the NAIS website, www.usda.gov/nais, along with other animal ID documents.
NEW STUDY CONFIRMS DAIRY’S WEIGHT-LOSS BENEFITS
A new study published in the journal Obesity confirms that young women who
consume at least three servings of dairy products a day over a long-term period
may gain less body fat than those who consume fewer than three servings a day.
A Purdue University study found that young, normal-weight women who consumed at
least 1,000 to 1,400 milligrams of dairy calcium per day had lower body fat
compared to women with diets low in calcium-rich dairy products. The researchers
concluded that increasing dietary calcium through consumption of dairy products
for a long period of time could play a role in preventing young, healthy,
normal-weight women from gaining body fat. “This scientific research helps build
public awareness of the need to consume three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt
a day as part of a healthy diet,” said Anne Marie Krautheim, a registered
dietitian and senior vice president of nutrition and health promotion for the
National Dairy Council.
CONSERVATION PROGRAM MAY BE PUT ON HOLD
Farmers who hope to get paid for conservation practices on their land may have
to wait until at least 2009 to even have the opportunity to enroll in the
program. The Agriculture Department has no money to enroll additional farmers in
the Conservation Security Program this year. USDA also disclosed in its proposed
2008 budget today that it has no plans to enroll any farmers in the program next
year either as it writes new rules for the program.
The program, which rewards farmers for conservation and pollution-prevention
measures, was written into the 2002 farm bill by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). So
far, contracts have been offered in a few select areas of the country because of
congressional budget caps. The Bush administration is proposing tightening
eligibility rules for the program and capping the amount of acreage that can be
enrolled each year. The rules would require participating farmers to make
changes in their operations beyond what they already are doing.
The Hotline will be posted on the MFB website at the end of each week. Our
website address is www.mdfarmbureau.com. The Maryland General Assembly’s website
can also serve as a valuable tool for legislative information. The Home Page
offers the proceedings and agendas of the House and Senate, hearing schedules,
bill information and status, and other data about the Maryland General Assembly.
Plus, there are links available to other related websites. The website is
updated nightly, and may be accessed at
www.mlis.state.md.us .