 Legislative Update (2-9-07) February 9, 2007 One page broadcast fax To:
SB 2365 was amended by the
Senate Ag Committee on February 8. It
now says the Legislative Council shall consider conducting a
study on grain grading procedures. This
is an improvement over the directive that PSC shall conduct such
a study, but Grain Dealers’ position against it hasn’t changed.
Members who still object should talk to their Senators this weekend
about voting it down on the Senate floor next week.
Tread lightly on Senate Ag Committee members.
If it gets through the Senate we’ll have to deal with it in the
House. SB 2247 on roving grain
buyer licensing was heard this morning in the Senate Ag Committee.
Some in-state pulse crop handlers and processors want their
buyers exempted from licensing. Grain
Dealers argued against cracking the door.
The bill says buyers purchasing from licensed entities
"grain that has been cleaned and processed and has had value added
to it" need not be licensed. The
Committee amended the bill to say that for purposes of this section,
value-added means taken to the next stage of production in preparation
for consumption. SB 2285 was amended on
Thursday by the Senate Ag Committee so that only processors will be
required to give certified mail notice to farmers of liens.
Suppliers and agisters are out of it.
HB 1470
is a Grain Dealers’ bill regarding notification to receiptholders of
termination of their grain storage contract.
It passed the House 92-0 with an emergency clause which means it
goes into effect when the Governor signs it.
SB 2383
and SCR 4014 are the
two parts of the same effort to reduce the Public Service Commission
from three people to one person over the next few years.
Both of these have been killed by the Senate.
HB 1185,
the Dry Pea and Lentil Checkoff bill, was amended so ND elevators
collect only the ND Checkoff on all receipts regardless of state or
province of origin. The ND
Dry Pea and Lentil Council will sort out how many dollars go where.
This passed the House 90-0. HB 1338 has also passed the House 90-1. As amended this one says the accounts receivable secured by a priority lien can be sold, but the priority does not go with them.
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