Public hearing information below.
The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has proposed changes to ATCP 10 and ATCP 12. The changes would increase fees for livestock auction markets, dealers, and truckers.
Rep. Tony Wied released a statement ahead of the public comment period, which starts Sep. 11.
“The idea that Governor Evers’ Administration would stick farmers with a 1,700 percent fee increase is downright unconscionable,” Wied writes. “Wisconsin farmers, livestock dealers, truckers, and auction house owners work hard every day to feed our country, and they deserve our support, not to be wrung out for cash.”
He says he is calling on the Evers administration to reverse the proposed fee increase immediately.
DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski tells Farm Director Pam Jahnke that there hasn’t been a fee increase since 2008-2009. The fees bring revenue to support essential services, such as animal health administration, which is currently operating at a deficit.
“The functions that are supported by this revenue are very important. These are things that our animal health staff has to be doing to make sure that we are all finding that shared goal of making sure animals are healthy and safe as they move about the state,” Romanski says. “Now, more than ever, with all of the animal health challenges that are out there, it’s important that we do continue to work together to provide those functions.”
DATCP’s proposal has livestock yards, dealers, and haulers sounding alarms. Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales CEO Curt Larson says the only way to collect these fee increases would be to pass them on to the farmers, which, he fears, would force even more producers out of livestock.
In addition, Larson says the proposed fee increases are excessive and well beyond “ordinary and customary,” ranging from 205 percent to 1,700 percent.
“The department must realize they cannot make up for the loss of shared funding simply by increasing the user fees,” he says.
Attend A Public Hearing:
Prairie Oaks State Office Building, Room 106, 2811 Agriculture Dr., Madison, WI 53708
- Thursday, Sept. 11 – 9:00 A.M.
- Tuesday, Sept. 16 – 1:00 P.M.
- Wednesday, Sept. 17 – 1:00 P.M.
Register Online For Virtual Access:
Phone access information can be provided.
Submit Written Comments By Oct. 15:
Mail: Angela Fisher, DATCP, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708
Email: [email protected]
