701-566-9300The Agricultural world (okay – North Dakota’s version) pretty much hopped onto the internet Wednesday to testify in favor of supporting a hold even budget for several entities helping producers in relation to NDSU. The Main Station and branch research stations, the Extension Service, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Extension Service, Northern Crops Institute and the Agronomy Seed Farm were all represented by their personnel as well as leaders appearing in person such as President Dean Bresciani and Vice President Greg Lardy. There were a few technical glitches but it was overall (and especially for a first time event) a great opportunity to testify remotely and keep people safe. Your NDSGA representatives gave powerful personal/farmer testimony on several fronts yesterday. While my experiences have shown a bigger challenge to maintaining budgets are encountered on the House Appropriations side, those good folks will have their turn to listen in a month or two. If you are a producer reading this, please take a minute to email or call your state legislators and ask them to support these programs. And better yet, tell them why.
In other matters, the road train bill got a 6-0 Do Not Pass recommendation in Senate Transportation this afternoon. Also today, the ND Trade Office began the journey to be housed in the ND Department of Agriculture. Currently housed in the ND Department of Commerce, the governor had split the budget for the Trade Office between the two departments and the bill heard today is to keep it together. Commerce testified in a neutral position to successes of the Trade Office and why they had bifurcated the budget, while NDDA testified to dealing with it under one roof. Senate Ag has the bill which is 2171 and has recommended a Do Pass by 6-0.
