Last week ICA board of directors held its annual legislative meeting where they met with legislators to discuss priority issues for cattle producers and the state.  Likewise, work continued at the statehouse in the seventh week of session including motions advancing appropriations for key budgets including Office of Species Conservation, Wolf Depredation Control Board, and Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

CAFO Improvement Fund H559 replaces H466 to make a fund available to support investments in environmental projects on CAFOs to improve livestock byproduct, waste, nutrient and water management, land application, and storage systems.  Currently, the Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP) Fund, I.C. 39-3628A, supports investments in farm and ranch projects that improve water quality standards in impaired water bodies in Idaho.  Confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are not eligible for these projects because CAFOs do not directly discharge to water bodies.  This legislation would make CAFO’s eligible for funds to improve their nutrient management and establish a board that awards grants for the fund that currently is proposed by the governor to be $5 million.  H559 establishes a committee to review and award grants.  The legislation also clearly outlines criteria for the committee to use while selecting recipients of the grants.  H559 passed the full House of Representatives on 48-20 vote, with votes against primarily due to the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s opposition and scoring the bill a -3.  The bill passed the Senate Agriculture Committee and will now be heard on the Senate floor.

Stopping, inspection, exception S1267 would clarify Idaho Transportation Department stopping and inspection authority at check stations (ports of entry, weigh stations, and temporary check stations) by exempting non-commercial vehicles under 26,000lbs.  This law change would more accurately reflect current practice, however ICA brought up concerns about the need to be able to stop all trailers in the event of animal disease outbreaks, ongoing theft investigations, and training or routine checks.  Therefore, at the request of the livestock industry, language was added in this legislation to better enable a state-owned inspection station to require all trailers to stop at stations when requested to address our needs.  S1267 passed the Senate floor and the House Transportation Committee, only needing a floor vote to complete the legislative process.

Taylor Grazing Act S1252 attempts to define grazing preference rights to clarify that grazing preferences are compensable property rights.  Additionally, require for compensation for any lost preference as a taking of real property if there is a sale, exchange, or otherwise disposed of and conveyed to the state of state grazing lease/land.  S1252 provides more of an opinion piece that may not be able to accomplish its intent.  However, S1252 could strengthen a plaintiff’s claim of takings because the state can define what constitutes a state property right.  ICA has not taken a position on this legislation primarily due to the question of legal requisite.

Stockwater H608 further clarifies the procedure to be used by the State of Idaho prior to an order declaring certain stockwater rights to be forfeited under I.C. Sec. 42-222 for failure to put the rights to beneficial use.  H608 outlines the judicial process and provides a timeline to execute it under.  The legislation passed the House Resources Committee last week.

Fences, Barbed Wire 1345 revises provisions for careless exposure of barbed wire fences, provisions regarding a property owner’s liability after receiving notice, and adjusts penalties.  ICA leadership met with Idaho Grain Producers Association leadership and bill sponsor Senator Mark Harris last week to discuss positive steps in creating accountability for landowners and livestock owners as neighbors.  The bill would add the language of disrepair in the exposure to barbed wire section of code, require the responsible party to repair within 7 days, and create a three-tiered penalty structure which consists of $150 and $300 infractions respectively before a misdemeanor violation.

Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program S1344 creates the “Rural Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program.” Money allocated to the fund would pay education debts for veterinarians committing to provide care primarily to large animals in a rural area. Payments would be capped at $25,000 per year up to a maximum of $75,000 per qualified applicant.  A fund and seven-member review board would be established.