Down column in Don Davis's Capitol Chatter post, Rural GOP Says Dayton Wages ‘War On Agriculture,' we read this telling passage about one battle in the "war on agriculture in the mind of House Republicans:
An issue that upset Dayton was the Republican-written ag bill’s failure to raise fees on pesticide companies.
“Monsanto can’t afford to pay another $75?” Dayton asked. “It gets absurd.”
Hamilton said that the administration sought more money for a pesticide-related cleanup fund, but lawmakers never received information they sought about why the increase is needed, so did not grant the request.
Here's a pdf of that information, split from the larger January 2017 document that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture requested. We're baffled about what's unclear in this request:
MDA Waste Pesticide Request posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
It's particularly bizarre that this thorough delineation of a need is singled out as a battle in the war inside the lawmakers' heads, since the request notes that the Waste Pesticide Collection Program has been very effective in removing waste pesticides from farms, while a growing burden exists for household waste pesticide removal. We're at a loss to understand how maintaining a program to remove waste pesticides from homes is a war on anything other than being poisoned. BTW: the fee increase would be paid by the pesticide companies.
Some corporate or industry group lobbyist is going to get a medal for this one.
UPDATE: While it's clear from Davis's story that both Hamilton and Dayton were talking about an increase in the fee, one GOP staffer brought to our attention that Dayton staffer Linden Zakula had provided incorrect information about the fee.
Here's Zakula's email walking that statement back:
Members of the Press,
Last Tuesday, May 9, 2017, I sent you this memo, detailing some of the ways in which the Republican budget bills would negatively impact Minnesotans.
In that memo, I wrote that “Minnesota Republicans’ Agriculture Bill would eliminate a fee charged on chemical companies.” This line should instead have stated that “Minnesota Republicans’ Agriculture Bill does not contain a fee increase charged on chemical companies,” which funds the safe collection and disposal of waste pesticide throughout the state. This program benefits all households and farmers in all of our 87 counties; and is free for users.
I also wanted to clarify a passage on pesticide enforcement authority. The Republicans’ bill strips the Department of Agriculture of existing pesticide enforcement authority. Under federal law, individuals using some pesticides are required to verify their need in order to follow the pesticide label. Improper use of pesticides can have negative impacts on human health, and on the health of animals, plants, and our environment. The Republicans’ bill would place state law in conflict with federal law and would restrict the State’s authority to enforce pesticide laws.
Governor Dayton has also provided this clarification to the Chairs of the House and Senate Agriculture Finance and Policy Committees this afternoon. [end update]
Photo: Toy soldiers. While it's tempting to make fun of those beating the drums in the War on Ag in Republican lawmakers' heads, it's better to ask who's calling the tunes and paying for that tattoo.
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