WASHINGTON, D.C. β Lawrence Sukalski is reaching the end of nine years as an American Soybean Association (ASA) director. His last round of Capitol Hill visits in Washington D.C. last week were a little bittersweet, he admits.
βIt really is an honor to walk the halls of Capitol Hill and talk to legislators,β the Martin County farmer and Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) director says. βThey really affect ag policy, and Iβve enjoyed talking with them throughout the years. Iβm going to miss that.β
Sukalski, along with a host of other MSGA leaders and Minnesota ASA directors, spoke with 10 legislators and assistants during a round of Capitol Hill visits tour in the nationβs capital.
Topics during the Hill visits included: the 2018 Farm Bill, biodiesel, crop insurance, tax reform, health care, infrastructure and trade.
The status of the next Farm Bill, in particular, was on the minds of both the politicians and farmers.
βItβs too early to know whatβs going to happen with the Farm Bill,β Rep. Collin Peterson says. βItβs going to be a challenge, but weβre sure going to try.β
Rep. Tim Walz, whoβs also running for Minnesota governor in 2018, said he hopes both parties can find a common ground. Otherwise, he says itβs possible the current Farm Bill may be extended.
βI remain optimistic we can get something passed,β he says. βWe have to get something done. Itβs too important.β
Sen. Al Franken believes the current farming economic climate should be considered when drafting the bill.
βWe have to write a bill thatβs cognizant of todayβs low commodity prices,β he says.
Trevore Brekken, MSGA at-large director and 2017 ASA DuPont Young Leader, enjoyed meeting with legislators.
βThis is a pretty awe-inspiring place,β he says. βThereβs so much history here, and you can feel it when you sit down with the legislators.β
Walz, Peterson, Klobuchar and Franken all issued their support for extending the biodiesel tax credit ββitβs crazy not to,β Franken says β Β which would shift from a blenderβs credit to a producerβs credit.
βMoving the credit to a producerβs credit would save the government millions of dollars, and keep that money in the United States,β says MSGA Director Joel Schreurs. βThe way it is now, weβre subsidizing our competitors.β
MSGA President Mike Petefish deemed the legislative visits a success.
βWe had a lot of policy-specific discussions with them, and we were able to bring our concerns and interests directly to the legislators,β he says. βThey definitely know where MSGA stands on the issues important to Minnesota soybean farmers.β
β Minnesota Soybean
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