Arkansas Agriculture Edition 26 : Page 22
Policy Update by Michelle Kitchens All farmers know it makes a difference to be actively engaged on the farm, with family or in the community. It’s the difference in farm profitability or in how children turn out or if the volunteer fire department gets a new truck. Being actively engaged makes a difference when farmers access farm bill programs too. Without doubt, farmers have an enormous influence when they make their voices heard. Here are three recent examples where farmer response had an impact. Transportation regulations In July, Congress passed H.R. 4348 that reauthorizes several national transportation programs. The bill also includes agriculture transportation exemptions championed by farmers. Last year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requested input about possible changes to agriculture-related highway rules. Farmers responded with common sense reasons why existing exemptions worked and should be expanded. FMCSA agreed. In H.R. 4348, Congress solidified many of those exemptions into law. The new language allows some farm exemptions from requirements to obtain a commercial driver’s license, medical certificates, hours of service restrictions and any requirement relating to vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance. These exemptions apply to properly marked farm vehicles weighing less than 26,001 pounds and larger farm vehicles traveling within state or within 150 air miles of their farm if the vehicle crosses a state line. taken years to resolve but farmers and other homeowners persisted, working first with then Rep. Marion Berry. In early July, U.S. Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman led a bipartisan group of senators in defeating a proposal to mandate flood insurance for individuals who live behind healthy levees and other flood--control structures. After some procedural maneuvering by Sen. Pryor, the Senate stripped the provision from the overall bill. The senators accomplished this by using the arguments supplied by farmers and other businesses that those behind flood-control structures already pay for flood protection through infrastructure investments, such as local levee taxes. The comments contained reasonable arguments against the unwarranted regulations. They also expressed the passion of farmers and their children for their way of life and the resulting character it built by hard work on the farm. The DOL withdrew the entire rule and reached out to the farm community to open discussion on improving youth safety on the farm. * * * There are hundreds more examples of farmer voices making a difference. There are different levels of being actively engaged, and agriculture needs farmers on every level. To receive more information about agriculture issues, Arkansas Farm Bureau provides several resources including newsletters, both e-versions and traditional, a constantly updated website and social media presence. Visit arfb.com to see some of the issues Farm Bureau engages in, and send a message to your elected officials. If you want to receive automatic updates and Action Alerts, call 501-228-1324 or email michelle.kitchens@ arfb.com . Take that first step toward being actively engaged. Agriculture needs you, and you can make a difference. Child labor regulations When the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed sweeping changes to regulations governing youth employed by agriculture operations, farmers, buoyed by FFA and 4-H, responded with a roar. Comments from organizations like Farm Bureau and their members poured into the DOL against the possible revisions. Flood insurance Property owners in Arkansas faced purchasing mandatory flood insurance as a result of hurricane flood disasters. It’s 22 Arkansas Agriculture
Policy Update
Michelle Kitchens
All farmers know it makes a difference to be actively engaged on the farm, with family or in the community. It’s the difference in farm profitability or in how children turn out or if the volunteer fire department gets a new truck. Being actively engaged makes a difference when farmers access farm bill programs too. Without doubt, farmers have an enormous influence when they make their voices heard. Here are three recent examples where farmer response had an impact.<br /> <br /> Transportation regulations <br /> <br /> In July, Congress passed H.R. 4348 that reauthorizes several national transportation programs. The bill also includes agriculture transportation exemptions championed by farmers. Last year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requested input about possible changes to agriculturerelated highway rules. Farmers responded with common sense reasons why existing exemptions worked and should be expanded. FMCSA agreed. In H.R. 4348, Congress solidified many of those exemptions into law. The new language allows some farm exemptions from requirements to obtain a commercial driver’s license, medical certificates, hours of service restrictions and any requirement relating to vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance. These exemptions apply to properly marked farm vehicles weighing less than 26,001 pounds and larger farm vehicles traveling within state or within 150 air miles of their farm if the vehicle crosses a state line.<br /> <br /> Flood insurance <br /> <br /> Property owners in Arkansas faced purchasing mandatory flood insurance as a result of hurricane flood disasters. It’s taken years to resolve but farmers and other homeowners persisted, working first with then Rep. Marion Berry. In early July, U.S. Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman led a bipartisan group of senators in defeating a proposal to mandate flood insurance for individuals who live behind healthy levees and other flood--control structures.<br /> <br /> After some procedural maneuvering by Sen. Pryor, the Senate stripped the provision from the overall bill. The senators accomplished this by using the arguments supplied by farmers and other businesses that those behind flood-control structures already pay for flood protection through infrastructure investments, such as local levee taxes.<br /> <br /> Child labor regulations<br /> <br /> When the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed sweeping changes to regulations governing youth employed by agriculture operations, farmers, buoyed by FFA and 4-H, responded with a roar. Comments from organizations like Farm Bureau and their members poured into the DOL against the possible revisions.<br /> <br /> The comments contained reasonable arguments against the unwarranted regulations. They also expressed the passion of farmers and their children for their way of life and the resulting character it built by hard work on the farm. The DOL withdrew the entire rule and reached out to the farm community to open discussion on improving youth safety on the farm.<br /> <br /> There are hundreds more examples of farmer voices making a difference. There are different levels of being actively engaged, and agriculture needs farmers on every level. To receive more information about agriculture issues, Arkansas Farm Bureau provides several resources including newsletters, both e-versions and traditional, a constantly updated website and social media presence.<br /> <br /> Visit arfb.com to see some of the issues Farm Bureau engages in, and send a message to your elected officials. If you want to receive automatic updates and Action Alerts, call 501-228-1324 or email michelle.kitchens@ arfb.com. Take that first step toward being actively engaged. Agriculture needs you, and you can make a difference.
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