House Agriculture Committee
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Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
0:00
I would like to take this opportunity at the first of this meeting to introduce a lady that will be working this session with the AGRAC committee, and that's Ms. Teresa Carpenter. Teresa, please stand up. Teresa is with the Bowen School of Law, and we have a program. All the standing committees get what we call extern, and she'll be working with staff and with you.
If you have anything that you'd like Ms.
Carpenter to do that falls under her jurisdiction, please
Speaker 6
0:52
call upon her. Teresa, do you have anything you'd like to say? Thank you very much.
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
1:10
Gentlemen, we have a very limited schedule today. We have
two bills that's on our active roll. Representative Patterson, last indication, he wants to pass on his until a later date. Likewise, Representative Smith, I believe, wants to pass over his bill until he gets some more things working. Yes, Representative.
Chair
Unverified
1:35
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for being late, but I'd like to state that we're working on that bill,
and I would like to make note that we will do notice to the public, hopefully three days before the day of running the bill if that's allowable we appreciate it
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
1:56
thank you absolutely we have another announcement that uh please take note that there will be a luncheon this friday at 12 30 at the crown plaza on shockford road that's hosted by the cattlemen's association and they have invited the agri committee to come to that luncheon so if you're
Speaker 8
2:14
available please take notice of that at this time I'm going to step out of the chairman's pew and let
Representative John Burris
Unverified
2:37
the vice chairman take over mr. chairman you're recognized to explain your resolution
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
2:44
Thank you, Mr. Vice-Chair. I have a resolution today that's sponsored by myself, Speaker Moore, Representative Rogers and Representative McRae, and this House resolution is for the rice industry of Arkansas because Arkansas ranks first among the six major rice producing states, accounting for nearly 50% of all U.S. rice production, and because the U.S. rice industry exports
approximately 50% of the domestic crop in markets around the world, and because the United States of America currently trades with China, Vietnam, Russia, and other countries which at one time were considered threats to the United States, and because trade with foreign countries fosters the exchange of ideas, promotes human rights, and furthers the ideas of democracy. Therefore, Mr. Vice Speaker,
the State of Arkansas urges the United States of America and the Arkansas Congressional Delegation to remove all restrictions of trade and direct travel with Cuba. I appreciate
Representative John Burris
Unverified
4:04
a good vote. What's the pleasure of the committee? Well, there's a motion do pass. Yep. Okay. We have a motion do pass on the floor. Mr. Collins
that you recognize to speak against
Representative Charlie Collins
Unverified
4:28
the resolution. I'm so appreciative of our wonderful rice farmers and also the other agricultural producers in the state and understand and feel the pain that's associated with the current United States policy. But I am just so opposed to anything that could be perceived as supporting brutal communist dictators that I just would urge you to vote against this resolution
and support the current U.S. policy. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chairman. Okay,
Representative John Burris
Unverified
5:03
I think we're going to, would anybody like to speak for the resolution? Yes, sir, Mr. Letting, you
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
5:09
recognize. I echo Representative Collins' concerns about communist regimes, but I think by opening ourselves and communicating more openly and trading with this country, we might actually be able to influence that country and move it in a better direction. So I would support this bill.
Representative Walls McCrary
Unverified
5:25
Representative McCrary, you're recognized. I'd like to speak for the resolution. It's my understanding, Chairman Brown, that the current administration is for this, and this would be an effort to just reinforce and give them support from Arkansas in the direction they're
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
5:52
going. Is that correct?
Absolutely, Representative, as I stated in my brief remarks, that other countries in this world was considered threats to the United States, and we have seemed to have gotten
over that. So I think it's time that we moved on, and because of the geographical location of Cuba, that it's only natural that we should do this. Would anybody else
Representative John Burris
Unverified
6:22
like to speak against the resolution?
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
6:25
Okay, you're recognized for a question. Mr. Chairman, I'm just wondering if you know, is Arkansas rice indirectly arriving at Cuba through third parties? You know, for example, we're selling it to Mexico. Mexico is then selling it to Cuba. And do we have any estimates as to the potential cost benefits to Arkansas rice growers by trading directly with Cuba? Any estimates on that?
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
6:55
Probably the price of rice now is very comparable to other countries in
the world. Right now Cuba is buying most of their rice from Vietnam, Philippines, and you know that they would have a larger expense in getting that rice shipped to Cuba as far as distances. just makes good sense representative that that this be allowed allowed to happen and
Chair
Unverified
7:27
i hope that answers your question representative smith you recognize thank
you mr vice chair chairman brown again looking at this resolution i concur with you that this is an opportunity for arkansans and the rice production to increase their output and have a more ready market for the product, and it's just a job creation bill. It just sounds like a resolution, rather. It sounds like what we need to be doing. I agree with the fact that Representative Collins has mentioned
that these communist regimes are not operating like we do, but as Representative Letting alluded to, if we show them a better way and encourage business in Arkansas as well, they're already buying our rights anyway, indirectly far probably this is just the right thing to do i think this is a resolution we should support and thank you do you not agree
Representative John Burris
Unverified
8:21
absolutely okay members we have still have a motion do pass on the floor uh other questions representative gene you're recognized
Speaker 37
8:30
chairman brown uh we see that this could potentially be a 400 000 to 600 000 metric ton sale can you translate since you have a background in farming could you translate the dollar value that would be well
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
8:49
it depends on what market value you want to put on it representative it could be quite substantial right now we as it stated here we export probably 50 percent of the production in arkansas already goes out of country europe caribbean uh this would just
be one more avenue at a lot less expense on transportation is all as far as get a money value no i can't do
Speaker 27
9:14
that right now all right thank you mr chairman
Representative John Burris
Unverified
9:19
seeing no other questions we go ahead and call for vote the motion is due pass all in favor say
Speaker 38
9:25
aye any opposed motion passes thank you thank you committee thank you mr vice chair
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
9:35
Committee, I've asked Rodney Baker with Farm Bureau to come to us because we
have no other bills today and give us a 10, 15-minute presentation on what Farm Bureau's role is in the legislative process what exactly they do and why are they always here at you know have a
presence at our AG meeting so
Speaker 43
10:24
mr. Baker you're on I'm Rodney Baker I'm director of governmental affairs for the Arkansas Farm
Speaker 44
10:29
Bureau and we appreciate the opportunity to have a couple minutes to explain why we're here and our role as we see it and a little bit about our history of being something of a picture at the Capitol during session. Farm Bureau
last year celebrated its, a little over a year ago, celebrated its 75th anniversary in Arkansas. Arkansas Farm Bureau was started and remains major, the major reason that we exist to serve rural people and farmers in the legislative and regulatory arenas at that time there simply wasn't anybody to do that and we were started for that group for that reason by a group of farmers and it's grown we now have 76 county farm bureaus I know we only have 75 counties
but we have one county split that's some geographic differences there but among other things. But over the years, we have maintained this major purpose of representing farmers in this arena. Many of you probably know us better or may know us better from our insurance companies. And I'll tell you right now that I don't work for the insurance companies. I work for Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, which is the parent company that started the insurance company and we existed for about 15 years roughly when there was a need
recognized that for the farmers weren't getting the kind of insurance they need in rural areas high risk you didn't have fire coverage you didn't have a lot of these things out there and there was a need and that's why this organization was started to satisfy the needs of farmers and rural dwellers so Farm Bureau started the insurance companies as a service to member or an economic service member pro and it's been successful during those same years we were very much supporters of the cooperative movement in this country that
gave us organizations like rice and foods and farm credit system we also we were we were a player as an organization in forming of both of those also a player in the forming of blue cross originally in arkansas because of the needs that our members had in trying to satisfy those needs So you may recognize us most immediately because of the insurance services provided in your county. And we admit that probably more people know us for that. But we have maintained, again, as our major principle, the main reason for existence, representing our people and their needs.
For that reason, we have a staff of four lobbyists, myself, Jeffrey Hall, Stanley Hill, and Michelle Kitchens. Michelle is here, Stanley's in another committee, and Jeff is in B.C. at this time. And we represent Farm Bureau as the lobbying staff here. You'll see us sometimes with other staff or sometimes with some of our leaders down here. You'll also notice that we're probably engaged in a larger number of issues than most other organizations or individuals, even perhaps some individual lobbyists.
That's because everything that affects all the citizens pretty much affects real citizens. It may affect us in a particular way. But not just rice and not just cattle, not just dairy and those things, but also taxes. We pay them. Highways, we use them. We're probably one of the biggest users. We have supported numerous major highway initiatives in this state and helped pass those. We're also involved in ballot issues and have a long history of that.
Some of you will remember Amendment 59, which I believe occurred in 1978, Amendment 60 and 1980. Those were both initiatives that the state, there were big issues in this state, property tax and usury. The Farm Bureau was a major player in the organization of those efforts in doing the work to help pass those two initiatives. We've been involved in numerous others since then. So if it affects farmers and it affects in a policy arena
and it affects rural citizens, we usually have an interest in it. And I apologize, I meant to bring a policy book. I know some of you have them, but we have a policy book that's about that thick on state issues. We have an opinion on most things. And those are all derived from our members. I would tell you, in a way of just helping you understand the structure, we're a grassroots organization. We're non-governmental. We have a county organization, every county, as I said.
They're actually autonomous. They can make their own decisions. Those of you that were here last week on the veterinary bill, we had a county that actually spoke from a different position than the state did. But that county, along with all the other counties, had participated in bringing their issues and their positions through the counties into a state convention and where our policy was voted. That's why usually you won't see that situation here. Occasionally it does exist. Those things are national in scope,
are forwarded on to the American Farm Bureau organization. We have a convention in January every year. We just completed it a couple weeks ago. And the big topic there for many of you who will be interested, of course, was the rewrite of the Farm Bill that's going to occur this year and next. It's a huge issue for southern farmers, and we're heavily engaged in that at that level, our state and all the other states that, again, form the American Farm Bureau. So we have pretty much a system that almost mirrors what perhaps you might see in what you do
and that we have elected delegate body members that come and make our policy just like you were elected and come and make the policy for the state. And it's grassroots, and it goes back to our members. You'll also come to understand, if you haven't been here before, that a lot of times our positions put us where it's difficult for us to be flexible sometimes. And I know that's been a frustration expressed to me. But our members tell us our position, and it's not something that we can go out and change.
Our board of directors, we take direction from them on our priorities. If there is a change in a situation that might cause the policy to look different, it has to go before the board. We don't make those decisions here. It's been a successful model, not only in our state but in other states. We've been coming here for 76 years now and have had, I think, a pretty good record of representing our membership. In a nutshell, that's why we're here, and it's what we do.
Now, we do have a staff member that does work for our insurance companies, Richard Sims, that will be, for those of you that may deal with that issue from time to time, that will be maybe talking to you about some insurance issues. And if it affects our companies, he's the one who's going to talk to you. If there's an insurance issue that affects our people in general, our members, you might hear from us because it's cost production. So that's why sometimes it may look like we're crossing that line.
But if it affects our members from a cost production standpoint, then you'll likely see one of my staff here. But we are separate from the insurance companies. You know, one of the things that, Mr. Chairman, over the years that you learn here is that if there's an issue and there's a lot of support for it, you know, we hear about Farm Bureau being an aggregate. If there's an issue out there and we happen to be on the other side of it, you'll hear us call an insurance company frequently. Why is an insurance company involved in this issue?
Well, the insurance company isn't involved in that issue. The Farm Bureau agricultural side is involved in that issue. And, you know, it's like it goes on with a lot of topics and a lot of groups. You kind of put that in the frame, that issue, or the people involved in the issue, the way that helps you. But we are here representing agriculture and agricultural people and rural
Speaker 8
18:55
people. And I'd be glad to take any questions, Mr. Chairman. Any members have any questions for Mr. Baker?
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
19:02
I think he explained very well their role in distinguishing between what Farm Bureau, or he does with Farm Bureau and what the insurance side. And so
many people do get that confused. I appreciate that explanation. No questions? Thank you, Mr. Baker. Yeah, go on. Mr. Vice
Representative John Burris
Unverified
19:24
Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just say one thing. Speaking from my position as Vice Chairman of this committee, I'd just appreciate if you wouldn't tell the other members how badly you beat me at shooting Skeet over the summer in Newton County.
Oh, I don't remember your scores. I might discredit my position here. Thank you. Thank you. Sounded
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
19:43
like there might be a grudge match somewhere down the line. Thank you, Rodney. Any comments on any issue by the committee? If not, we stand adjourned until 9 o'clock Friday.
Agenda
Call to Order
Adjournment
Documents
No documents posted.
Speakers
Representative Jerry R. Brown
Unverified
Speaker 6
Chair
Unverified
Speaker 8
Representative John Burris
Unverified
Representative Charlie Collins
Unverified
Representative Greg Leding
Unverified
Representative Walls McCrary
Unverified
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Speaker 37
Speaker 27
Speaker 38
Speaker 43
Speaker 44