Notes From The Capitol

By Paul Anderson, State House Representative District 12B

As the Legislature heads into its traditional Easter/Passover break this week, finance bills to fund state government for the next two years are taking shape. What makes the process different this time is how the state’s $17.5 billion surplus is impacting how these bills are put together.

All areas of operation have been given increased spending targets, some much higher than others. Agriculture, for example, was given an extra $48 million over its base funding, and some are saying it’s not enough. It’s human nature when there’s that much “extra” money lying around with the surplus. Expectations are high as visions of expanded program offerings build. Then, when the revenue is spread around, there are winners and some that are disappointed. The areas of education and housing appear to be the two that received the largest increases in funding.

On the ag side, my concern isn’t so much the lack of increased funding, it’s the policy items included in the omnibus finance bill. For example, there’s an effort to curtail the use of treated seeds farmers utilize to protect their crops. “Verification of need” was included in earlier versions of the bill, meaning that farmers would have to prove the treated seed was needed before being allowed to plant it. And how that would all happen if seed was purchased in the fall for the upcoming spring season wasn’t totally worked out. In the end, that wording was removed from the bill, but the Department of Agriculture would still be mandated to study how and when treated seeds could be utilized.

There is also language that changes the make-up of the Board of Animal Health. That board plays a key role in the fight against animal diseases such as Avian Influenza. They have a great deal of power in dealing with issues such as that, including the ability to quarantine areas of the state where disease has broken out. They also dealt with the daunting task of disposing carcasses of animals put down when the large packing plants were closed during COVID-19. The board’s current make-up is six members, most of whom are veterinarians. New language in the House bill increases it to 11 members who have knowledge of livestock, with at least one residing in each of our eight congressional districts.

    *****

A bill which passed the House several weeks ago will make it difficult for the prison at Appleton to ever be used again to house prisoners. The facility is owned by a private company and has been sitting empty since 2010. Language in the bill says the Department of Corrections cannot house prisoners in a private prison, in addition to saying that local governments couldn’t either. We offered amendments to at least allow counties the option of banding together to use the facility, in addition to keeping the door open for the state at some point in the future to lease the prison.

It was obvious the bill was aimed at Appleton and keeping the prison there from ever being used again for its original purpose. It’s a shame the 1400-bed facility that was state-of-the-art when built back in the 90s can’t be put to use. At one time, it employed 350 people and was a huge economic driver for the area. Its tax base represents about one-third of Appleton’s valuation, and it still pays hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in property tax in Swift County.

Debate on the bill went on for hours as Republicans tried to lessen its impact and keep options open for the facility. But the amendments were defeated and, in the end, the bill to ban usage of private prisons passed on a party-line vote.