1

Official Book for Subcommittee 1 N-102 The Constitution 1.

We support repealing the 17th amendment.

-- Cross

N-103 Elections The following counties submitted all or part of current policy.

Garland N-104 Executive Branch 1.

We support running our country by the principles of 2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

-- Cross

N-110 Regulatory Review & Reform 1.

We oppose regulations being made by regulatory agencies; instead, regulations should only be made by elected lawmakers with regulatory agencies to administer the programs.

-- Clay

2.

We support any effort to impose unnecessary government regulations that results in creating an uncompetitive and sustainable economic environment for the American farmer.

-- Union

N-111 School & Government Food Purchasing Programs 1.

Schools and communities have shared responsibility to provide all students with access to high quality, affordable, nutritious food and beverages. We urge county, state, and American Farm Bureau to back the same and or increased funding for the free/reduced meals of the school feeding programs. (Also in 156 Education) -- Jackson

N-128 Transportation 1.

We oppose the federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy duty trucks.

-- Mississippi

Official Book for Subcommittee 1

2.

The DOT should operate under the sole authority of the Congress and not implement any programs that are not specifically authorized by Congress.

-- Mississippi

3.

We oppose the DOT proposal to regulate who can drive farm equipment on one's land.

-- Mississippi

4.

We oppose mandatory CDL's for farmers and their employees to operate farm equipment.

-- Mississippi

5.

We support current CDL agricultural exemptions.

-- Arkansas

N-147 Consumer Awareness 1.

We support any effort to educate the general public about American agricultural production practices in an effort to improve understanding.

-- Union

N-153 Health & Health Insurance 1.

We support legislation that would restrict federal assistant to able-bodied individuals.

-- Mississippi

N-157 Narcotics & Substance Abuse 1.

We recommend that American Farm Bureau Federation oppose any attempt to legalize the production of hemp as an agricultural or medicinal crop in the United States. Marijuana use is the number one drug problem among youth in the United States and hemp plants cannot be easily identified as separate species.

-- Mississippi

2.

We support that all welfare recipients submit to drug testing. If found dirty, they are to forego benefits for six months before they can re-apply for benefits.

-- Cleburne

3.

We support legislation that require people to pass a drug test prior to receiving any form of federal assistance.

-- Mississippi

4.

We support mandatory drug testing for all recipients for federal food stamps and unemployment benefits.

-- Yell

Official Book for Subcommittee 1 5.

Participants to age 60 who qualify and are receiving assistance for federal welfare programs should be tested for drug use. (Also in 174 Health and welfare) -- Lee

N-159 Postal Service 1.

Due to the importance of rural post offices to the local communities and senior citizens, we recommend that the Postal Service keep them open. Less than three percent of the total postal budget is spent on local post offices.

-- Faulkner

N-179 National Security 1.

We support continuing monitoring of the Homeland Security Department to ensure its fulfilling its intended purpose.

-- Cross

N-225 Risk Management/Crop Insurance 1.

Crop insurance should not be an eligibility requirement for farm programs. Also farmers should be able to collect crop insurance premium in lieu of having crop insurance.

-- Cross

2.

We support a farmer's ability to file a claim by field when operating under an enterprise unit.

-- Drew

3.

We encourage the Risk Management Agency to revise the accruals to differentiate between non-irrigated and irrigated farm land.

-- Drew

4.

We support the Risk Management Agency developing a single crop insurance policy that protects the farmer against prevented planting and replanting.

-- Drew

5.

We support a federal crop insurance program that would be more equitable to Southern agriculture. One possibility would be to cover prevented and replanting only, at a lower premium.

-- Mississippi

Official Book for Subcommittee 1

6.

Federal crop insurance will not work as a vehicle to assure an adequate safety net for Southern agriculture. We recommend that strong consideration be given to allow the option of opting out of the federal crop insurance program. The producer would be allowed to self insure their own crops and be able to collect the government subsidy that would have gone to reduce the insurance premium.

-- Mississippi

7.

Crop insurance does not provide an adequate safety net or protection for Southern irrigated agriculture. Additional options must be developed to provide an adequate safety net for these producers.

-- Mississippi

8.

We oppose the requirement for buying federal crop insurance to participate in federal farm programs.

-- Mississippi

9.

We recommend that Arkansas FSA allow the option of insuring crops in multiple sections for enterprise units instead of just using farm serial numbers.

-- Phillips

10.

We support policy where lawmakers target disaster loans and payments to encourage irrigated agriculture. As a result of the current drought, it should be understood that funding should be targeted to completing current irrigation districts and forming new irrigation policy and programs.

-- Prairie

11.

We recognize that producers of irrigated crops have not traditionally purchased crop insurance to the extent of non-irrigated crops, thus premium rating history for irrigated crops is limited thereby requiring higher premiums. Therefore, we support a national farm policy that maintains a level of support sustainable for irrigated crops that recognizes the stability of yields and added cost of irrigation.

-- Randolph

12.

We recommend that Farm Bureau work with the state and federal governments in getting a feed (hay & grains) subsidy program for ranchers and farmers to help when we are having an extreme drought.

-- South Logan

13.

We oppose the use of tax dollars to subsidize crop insurance for covered crops on land being placed back into production that is coming out of the C Reserve Program.

-- Poinsett

14.

We recommend crop insurance be maintained in the current budget cut negotiation meeting and that it remain affordable to farmers and ranchers.

-- Faulkner

Official Book for Subcommittee 1 15.

We support the equal treatment of rice crop insurance and the reduction of premiums so rice can be treated like other crops grown in the Midwest.

-- Poinsett

N-235 Conservation Reserve Program 1.

We recommend a transition policy be developed which would encourage environmentally sensitive CRP lands to remain in grass or trees.

-- Cross

N-239 National Farm Policy The following counties submitted all or part of current policy.

Poinsett 1.

We support changing the name of the farm bill to the Foods Security Act. -- Cross

2.

Farm payments should be tied to land (farm ID numbers) not individual social security numbers.

-- Cross

3.

We support an incentive for producers who choose to use the options market to provide a better safety net.

-- Mississippi

4.

We support a reduction in federal spending. However we oppose agriculture singled out for a larger percentage cut than other agencies.

-- Mississippi

5.

We support a slight reduction in direct payments and an increase in target prices that reflect true production costs.

-- Mississippi

6.

We support a national farm policy that recognizes the need to offer alternative programs for each commodity in order that they all maintain and adequate safety net.

-- Randolph

7.

We recommend that federal disaster programs be streamlined to allow timely access to funds.

-- Randolph

8.

We support the continuation of the current farm bill program.

-- Jackson

Official Book for Subcommittee 1

9.

We recommend any changes to the farm bill be compliant with World Trade Organization agreements. Care should be taken to construct a safety net including crop insurance that is considered "green box" by the WTO. -- Poinsett

10.

We urge that when future laws are written for agriculture, consideration be given to all aspects of agriculture, including price-parity ratio and the inability of the farmer to raise prices to meet additional expenses, and not be unfairly included with other forms of business when labor is the issue.

-- Arkansas

11.

We support regional farm bill safety net programs that recognize commodity differences.

-- Arkansas

12.

We should make it a high priority to urge Congress and the president to fulfill its current farm bill to increase exports and offset high tariffs in order to make U.S. commodities competitive in the world market.

-- Arkansas

N-252 International Trade 1.

We support legislation and legislators that promote laws to limit agriculture imports from countries that unfairly subsidizes their agriculture producers.

-- Union

2.

We recommend that fertilizer be traded freely worldwide without import or export taxes or tariffs.

-- Poinsett

N-317 Wildlife Pest & Predator Control 1.

We support additional funding for research concerning the control and/or eradication of fire ants and army worms. (Also in 134 Research & Extension) -- Clark

N-339 Food Quality & Safety 1.

We support the continued use of sound scientific principles and testing to keep the world's food supply safe for consumption.

-- Poinsett

Official Book for Subcommittee 1

2.

Due to the constant challenges by consumer advocates over food safety issues in the beef and dairy industry, we recommend that professional efforts be made to implement quality assurance standards throughout the production and marketing practices to improve consumer confidence.

-- Faulkner

3.

We support working with food retailers and food service providers to develop uniform inspection standards that would prevent producers from having to pay for multiple inspections to service different markets.

-- Ashley

N-402 Energy 1.

We support immediate approval and construction of the Keystone pipeline. We further encourage the United States become energy independent as soon as possible.

-- Boone

2.

We support federal assistance for natural gas and pumping facilities.

-- Lawrence

3.

We encourage our Congressional Delegation to support offshore and continental exploration and production of energy.

-- Jackson

N-404 Renewable Fuels 1.

We support the elimination of ethanol subsidies either through one time cuts or gradually decreasing amounts over a reasonable period of time.

-- Scott

2.

We oppose increasing the percentage of ethanol in fuels. (Also in 140 Renewable fuels) -- Clark

3.

We support the development and implementation of a sliding scale for renewable fuel standards concerning ethanol mandates. This scale will take into account the price of corn, the price of oil, and other contributing economic factors.

-- Saline

4.

We oppose any waivers to the Renewable Fuels Standards.

-- Woodruff

5.

We support a renewable fuel standard that does not benefit one segment of agriculture to the detriment of another.

-- Sevier

Official Book for Subcommittee 1 6.

We recommend, in an effort to stop the use of corn or other feed grains that are being used in the production of ethanol, USDA developing alternatives to fossil fuels and research be focused on developing products that do not negatively impact the production of feed grains.

-- Sebastian

7.

We support the use of tax incentives for the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol.

-- Arkansas

8.

We oppose the government mandate that 40 percent of all corn produced be used to produce ethanol.

-- Madison

9.

We oppose increasing the percentage of ethanol fuels. (Also in N-404 Renewable Fuels) -- Clark

10.

We support the ethanol fuel requirement removal from food and feed source.

-- N. Logan

11.

We recommend the removal of renewable fuel-ethanol mandates.

-- Carroll

N-417 Fiscal Policy The following counties submitted all or part of current policy.

Mississippi N-420 Monopoly 1.

We are concerned with consolidation of ownership associated with equipment dealers and other farm suppliers, which has led to less competition, lower quality of service, and higher costs. In some cases, antitrust issues should be investigated with any violation of anti-trust laws.

-- Mississippi

N-435 Federal Estate & Gift Taxes The following counties submitted all or part of current policy.

Jackson 1.

We support a complete repeal of the estate tax. Until that time, we favor continuance of the current exemptions.

-- Columbia

Official Book for Subcommittee 1 2.

We oppose any legislation that unfairly adjusts inheritance tax laws in the United States.

-- Union

N-438 Tax Reform 1.

Profits from production agriculture are fully taxed by the IRS in the year the profit is earned; additionally, the IRS will allow only a portion of a year’s loss that must be spread out over several years. The Internal Revenue Service is unfairly assessing profitability at a much higher tax rate due to its regulation. We support and recommend IRS regulation reform that allows profit to be averaged over the same amount of years as loss is calculated and allowed.

-- Newton

2.

The loss of an animal purchased at auction or by contract is fully exempted by the IRS Code. When an animal born on the farm dies it is not allowed as a loss by the same tax filing code, even though there are feed and other input costs to the animal. We recommend that the IRS code be amended to allow those losses as true and actual and appropriate financial considerations be made.

-- Newton

N-462 Role of USDA 1.

We believe the definition of a farm should be changed to having a gross revenue of at least $25,000.

-- Cross

2.

We support production agriculture and related programs have its auspice under the USDA and that the Women, Infants and Children's Program, School Nutrition Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program programs be governed by the Department of Health and Human Services, thereby giving equal consideration to all budgetary and regulatory decisions based on its unique and vital role in society.

-- Newton

3.

USDA was set up by Congress to help the farmers and represent farm needs and to improve the food and fiber protection. It has become apparent that USDA is varying away from its original intent. Therefore, the name of the Secretary of Agriculture should be changed to be the Secretary for Agriculture in order to have the secretary support farmers in all matters of the farming community.

-- Arkansas

4.

We support more local control over the appointment of NRCS personnel.

-- Cross

Official Book for Subcommittee 1

N-512 National Forest Management 1.

We encourage the USFS to contract with local management teams to meet science-based targets to minimize environmental impact while maximizing recreational opportunities.

-- Polk

2.

We support a user fee per ATV for use in national forests to offset the cost of personnel, fire aid, rescue protection and forest repair.

-- Polk

3.

We recommend the development of user friendly education/certification process for all ATV riders on federal lands.

-- Polk

4.

We oppose the closing of national forests and public roads.

-- Polk

5.

Currently the USFS makes annual payments in lieu of taxes to counties that have federal land within the county lines. With the current federal budget issues, we recommend that PILT funds for federal lands be protected for the continued support of local public schools and other public projects.

-- Polk

N-525 Land Ownership 1.

Recent rule changes in wetland determination procedures have already shifted substantial burdens to landowners. In response to a 1026 form requesting a wetland determination, the Corps of Engineers and NRCS now merely respond that there "may be" wetlands on a particular tract, but are not willing to make a specific wetland determination and delineation of the wetland's location.

Landowners are informed that they must hire a qualified private sector professional to make the actual determination. If the government claims an important public interest in certain lands that supersedes private property rights, it should be required to at least specifically identify the area that it deems so important to the public interest.

-- Craighead

N-526 Land Use Planning 1.

We favor government programs aimed at keeping agricultural land in production.

-- Dallas