The Wisconsin State Senate concluded their regular session this week, passing several bills supporting farmers and agribusinesses.
“These bills provide farmers with important protections from fee increases and unfair legal liabilities, improve the efficiency of transporting agricultural goods and make common sense regulatory changes,” says Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Brad Olson.
Assembly Bill 130 and 131 provide access to $125 million in cleanup and drinking water grants for communities impacted by PFAS contamination. It creates liability protections for innocent farmers and landowners who unknowingly accepted materials contaminated with PFAS.
Senate Bill 622 keeps Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection program fees flat. This is after proposed increases that would have significantly raised costs for farmers, truckers and livestock dealers.
AB 679 creates new permits for transporting grain, feed and fertilizer on six-axle, 91,000-pound trucks. This aims to improve efficiency and reduce transportation costs.
AB 956 creates an exemption for certain agricultural warehouses from sprinkler system requirements to prevent potential pollution of surface and groundwater.
“Wisconsin Farm Bureau will continue working with policymakers to ensure these proposals become law by strongly encouraging Gov. Tony Evers to sign these bills,” Olson says.
