LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN – January 21, 2005

The pace of things at the State Capitol is speeding up as the legislature is now in its third week.  Over 500 House bills have been introduced and over 300 Senate bills.  The deadline for introduction of House bills has passed.  Senators have until Monday January 24 to introduce bills.  Resolutions can come after that. 

HB 1142:  This is the bill that says the payment limit from the credit sale contract indemnity fund applies per insolvency.  It also says that all the claims from insolvency A will be handled before starting on insolvency B which occurred later, but before A is settled.  This bill has passed the House by a vote of 91-1.  Representative Brandenburg of Edgeley was the sole opponent. 

HB 1292:  Seeks to lower the cap on the indemnity fund from $10 million to $5 million.  It would also cut the assessment rate in half when the fund reached $2.5 million.  Grain Dealers and PSC testified at the hearing this morning against the changing assessment rate.  PSC is opposed to cutting the cap in half.  Grain Dealers did not testify strongly on that point, although pointing out that some elevators write more than $5 million in credit sales.

HB  1518:  Increases the wheat checkoff from 10 mills (1 cent per bushel) to 15 mills (1.5 cents per bushel).  It also says that the amount raised by at least two mills must be spent for certain activities that include work on domestic farm policy issues and on contracting with grower groups for that and other services.  This appears to be less controversial than legislation introduced in the 2003 session that would have raised the mill levy the same amount, but directed four mills to the grower groups.

SB 2279:   Would establish a state bonding fund to be operated by the Public Service Commission that would replace the usual grain warehouse bounds.  There is nothing in the legislation about what the underwriting requirements would be or cost. 

            Last week’s bulletin mentioned HB 1364, the bill saying college professors must speak understandable English.  This one will be heard in the House Education Committee on Tuesday January 25.  There could be opposition from the standpoint of it being discriminatory or that the process wouldn’t work.  Students who can’t understand their teachers may see it differently.  This is not a Grain Dealers issue, but it may be an issue to grain elevator employees and their customers who have kids in college.