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November 23, 2012
Volume 13
Issue 2
CORRECTION
In the November 9 edition of the Dispatch we correctly stated that Indiana’s new governor, Mike Pence, would be sworn in on the second Monday in January following his/her election, but we miscalculated the actual date. Governor Pence and Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann will actually be sworn in on January 14.
ACTION NEEDED AS CONGRESS RETURNS FOR ‘LAME DUCK’ SESSION
The United States Congress has about a month before it will adjourn. If it fails to address a number of important issues before the end of the year, provisions currently in federal law that are beneficial to farmers will expire. Farm Bureau has issued a call to action on two areas in particular. Please make contact with your current members of Congress (those who were in office before the election) and ask them to make permanent the current estate tax law and to pass a farm bill.
ACTION ALERT – DEATH TAX INCREASES IF CONGRESS DOES NOT ACT
Contact: Megan Ritter, mritter@infarmbureau.org or 317-692-7833
Congress needs to act before the end of the year on the estate or “death” tax. On January 1, 2013, the death tax exemption will shrink to $1 million and the top rate will jump to 55 percent.
Indiana Farm Bureau needs two members per county to send emails to Congress on the estate tax. Please be part of the 10,000 Farm Bureau members expected to contact Congress and take action this year to stop a huge increase in the death tax. Take action here.
Numerous tax provisions will be up for debate during the lame duck session as well as in the larger context of tax reform. Please stay informed and involved on this issue in the coming months.
ACTION ALERT – FARM BILL
Contact: Megan Ritter, mritter@infarmbureau.org or 317-692-7833
Now is the time to contact your member of Congress to encourage him to pass the farm bill during the lame duck session of Congress. Members of Congress need to hear from their constituents about the urgency in passing the farm bill.
Without your help, Congress could move toward an extension of the current bill. Farm Bureau is opposed to an extension. There are 37 expired programs in the current bill, including the MILC and disaster programs, that would not be automatically funded in an extension. If some of the expired programs are considered in the extension, cuts will need to happen in other areas to pay for their inclusion. Extension would also target the bill for sequestration. None of this is good for Indiana farmers. More information can be found here.
Call your members of Congress now and urge them to support the farm bill. Find out who represents you here.
FARM BUREAU WELCOMES LEGISLATORS ON ORGANIZATION DAY
The Indiana General Assembly met in Indianapolis on Tuesday for its annual Organization Day. This event officially marks the beginning of the new legislative session. It is the day when the Senate and the House of Representatives formally elect their leaders and swear in their members. The day often has a “first day of school” feeling about it as legislators and lobbyists welcome one another and exchange good wishes for the upcoming holiday season. Again this year, Farm Bureau took advantage of Organization Day to host a very informal continental breakfast near the entrance to the Statehouse that most legislators use.
SENATOR DAVID LONG AND REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN BOSMA TO LEAD LEGISLATURE
Legislators in each of the houses ratified the majority caucus’s choice as leader for the upcoming session. The Senate re-elected David Long (R-Fort Wayne) as its president pro tempore while the House chose Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) to again be its speaker.
The legislative caucuses have also chosen their other key leaders for the 2013 session. In addition to President pro tem Long, the Senate Republicans have chosen Brandt Hershman (R-Buck Creek) to be their floor leader and Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) to be caucus chairman. Senate Democrats have chosen Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) as their leader, Jean Breaux (D-Indianapolis) as assistant leader, and Jim Arnold (D-LaPorte) as caucus chair.
In the House, Speaker Bosma will be joined on the Republican leadership team by Floor Leader Bill Friend (R-Macy) and Caucus Chair Kathy Richardson (R-Noblesville). The House Democrats will be led by Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City), Floor Leader Linda Lawson (D-Hammond) and Caucus Chair Vanessa Summers (D-Indianapolis).
SENATE COMMITTEE CHAIRS ANNOUNCED
Senate President pro tem David Long has announced the chairs of the various Senate committees for the next session. Two of the committees that Farm Bureau deals the most with will have new chairs this session: Carlin Yoder (R-Middlebury) will chair the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee and Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) will chair the Environmental Affairs Committee. The important fiscal committees will continue to be headed up by Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville), who will chair the Appropriations Committee, and Brandt Hershman (R-Buck Creek), who will chair the Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee.
The membership of the individual committees has not yet been made public, although in conversations with the Farm Bureau lobbying staff, a number of legislators have indicated that they have told what their committee assignments will be.
BROWN TO HEAD WAYS & MEANS
Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) has been selected by Speaker Bosma to chair the House Ways & Means Committee. Rep. Brown, who has not served on the committee, was selected in part because of his background as a medical doctor who will be able to help the state address its new fiscal responsibilities under the federal Affordable Care Act (also known as “Obamacare”). Democrat Leader Scott Pelath has chosen Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) to be his caucus’s leader on the Ways & Means Committee.
NO WORD ON OTHER HOUSE COMMITTEES
The membership and chairmanships of other House committees have not yet been announced. These are expected in the next few weeks as the General Assembly will return in early January.
PENCE DOES NOT FEEL INDIANA SHOULD ESTABLISH A STATE-BASED HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE
Governor-elect Mike Pence has indicated he does not feel Indiana should form its own health insurance exchange to satisfy some of the requirements imposed on the state by the federal Affordable Care Act. In explaining his position in a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels, Pence indicated that establishing a new state-based exchange would be costly to Indiana taxpayers and he questioned the benefit of helping to fund a new federal bureaucracy. He has also indicated a reluctance to participate in a partnership exchange with the federal government.
LEGISLATURE, PENCE ALREADY DEBATING WISDOM OF INCOME TAX CUTS
Governor-elect Mike Pence and the Republican leaders of both houses appear to be on a collision course over the issue of a personal income tax cut. During the recent campaign, Pence proposed a 10 percent cut in the individual income tax rate. Both Senate President pro tem David Long and House Speaker Brian Bosma have indicated that they don’t believe the state can afford such a tax cut at this time and pointed to recent legislation that is phasing-out the state’s inheritance tax and reducing corporate taxes. Pence, on the other hand, has made the income tax cut one of his legislative priorities.
NEW INTERSTATE OPENS IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA
On Monday, Gov. Mitch Daniels rode his Harley-Davidson motorcycle along a 67-mile stretch of Interstate 69 that runs from Evansville to US 231 near the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center. This segment represents three of the six sections of the proposed I-69 extension between Evansville and Indianapolis. Supporters of the road continue to express optimism that in spite of greater obstacles and increased costs, the remaining three sections of the road will eventually be completed.
PENCE OPENS HIRING WEBSITE
If you’re interested in working for the state, Governor-elect Mike Pence has established a website to identify individuals to work in his administration. According to a report in the publication Howey Politics Indiana, the website, www.indianaworks.org/, will provide information about the transition and announce key appointments within the Pence administration.
MESSER CHOSEN TO LEAD HOUSE FRESHMEN
Freshmen Republicans in Congress have selected incoming Rep. Luke Messer of Shelbyville as their leader.
RUSSIA PNTR PASSED BY HOUSE
The U.S. House of Representatives passed by a vote of 365 – 43 permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia. Indiana Farm Bureau appreciates the support of Congressmen Bucshon, Burton, Carson, Donnelly, Rokita, Stutzman and Young in passage of H.R. 6156 in the House.
Russia joined the World Trade Organization on August 22, 2012. If PNTR is not enacted, U.S. farmers will continue to be disadvantaged in the Russian market. American agriculture exports more than $1.4 billion to Russia annually, primarily poultry, pork and beef products.
Now Farm Bureau is urging action and support in the U.S. Senate.
EPA DENIES RFS WAIVER
On November 16, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement that said, “Based on a thorough review of the record in this case, EPA finds that the evidence and information does not support a determination that implementation of the RFS program during the 2012-2013 time period would severely harm the economy of a state, a region, or the United States. EPA is therefore denying the requests for a waiver.” The full noticecan be found here.
The Clean Air Act allows the administrator of the EPA to waive the national volume requirements of the RFS program in whole or in part if implementation of those requirements would severely harm the economy or environment of a state, a region, or the United States, or if the administrator determines that there is an inadequate domestic supply of renewable fuel.
Farm Bureau submitted comments to the EPA on the request for waiver. Those comments stated, “As the largest general farm organization representing farm and ranch families raising all different types of food, fuel and fiber, it is important to be cognizant of all the parties being affected by the 2012 drought. Farm Bureau recognizes the new realities generated by the ethanol industry and the challenges it creates for our livestock members. The problems and difficulties they are facing at this time cannot be minimized.” Additionally, “Farm Bureau remains supportive of producing renewable energy to the maximum extent practicable, and if a waiver were to be granted, encourages EPA to conduct a thorough economic assessment of the impacts a waiver of any sort would have on agriculture and the overall economy.”
AGRICULTURE LABOR
Farm Bureau has created a website that will help farmers and ranchers share their stories with lawmakers, as a long- and short-term strategy to help legislators understand the labor issues facing agriculture. Before Congress can fully understand the needs of American agriculture and its labor force, lawmakers need to hear from farmers directly about their challenges with existing labor laws and rules.
The first step in achieving comprehensive agriculture labor reform begins by educating lawmakers. The more stories the better we can paint the picture of the issue to decision-makers and ultimately help meet the need for a workable, comprehensive solution.
We encourage Indiana farmers to share your story through the web page, http://www.fbactinsider.org/share-your-story.
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