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| NCGA, the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners (UBCJ) and the Midwest
Area River Coalition (MARC2000) met with Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.)
Tuesday to discuss the need to upgrade navigation locks on
the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. From left are:
Steve Markus, UBCJ; Kurt Brunner, UBCJ; Dale Roth, UBCJ; Paul
Rohde, MARC 2000; Sen. Bond; NCGA President Leon Corzine;
Pat Dumoulin, NCGA; Al Bond, UBCJ; Tade Sullivan, Iowa Corn
Growers Association; Garry Neimeyer, NCGA; Rodney Moe, NCGA;
and Warren Kemper, NCGA. |
Corn
Growers Make Case for Lock Upgrades During Capitol Hill Visits
NCGA leaders this week sent a simple, but familiar message to
Capitol Hill: river transportation infrastructure needs modernization.
(More
On This Story)
NCGA
Urges Congress Not to Re-open Farm Bill in Wake of President’s
Budget Release
President George W. Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget
plan calls for significant cuts to farm support programs at a
time when U.S. corn farmers are experiencing the lowest commodity
prices in recent memory, according to the National Corn Growers
Association (NCGA). (More
On This Story)
NCGA’s
Ag Budget Message: Stay the Course
The NCGA today stood fast in its strong support of the current
farm bill as the White House proposed cutting $587 million in
farm program spending for fiscal year 2006, which would generate
$5.7 billion in savings to the Federal Government over the next
10 years. The proposed cuts are part of the administration’s
move to cut the federal budget deficit in half over the next five
years. (More On
This Story)
NCGA
Hits the Road with Ethanol Message
The NCGA is taking its positive ethanol message to the streets,
thanks to a generous donation from the Minnesota Corn Growers
Association (MCGA). (More
On This Story)
NCGA,
Other Farm Groups Urge Quick Passage of CAFTA-DR Agreement
The NCGA last week signed on to a letter along with 50 other farm
and commodity organizations encouraging quick passage of the Central
American Free Trade (CAFTA) and Dominican Republic (DR) Agreement
The letter was sent to members of Congress. (More
On This Story)
Growers
Invited to Attend NCGA CornPAC Auction at Commodity Classic
Farmers interested in advancing the NCGA legislative priorities
are invited to attend the association’s Corn Political Action
Committee (CornPAC) auction, Feb. 23 at Commodity Classic in Austin,
Texas. (More On
This Story)
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AROUND
THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
IMINNESOTA:
In a vote of 54 to 12, the Democrat-led Minnesota
Senate passed Senate File 4, the bill authored by Sens. Sams,
Kubly, Skoe, Langseth and Dille, that raises the minimum ethanol
content in Minnesota gasoline to 20 percent. The bill now goes
to the Republican-led House of Representatives and – if
the two bodies negotiate a single version – it moves on
to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who proposed the idea last fall.
IOWA: The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA)
expressed concern that agriculture is being targeted for disproportionate
spending cuts in the Bush administration’s recently released
budget proposal. “If budget reductions are necessary,
then the ICGA believes Congress should look at making similar
cuts in all federal programs, rather than singling out farm
programs and a few agencies for cutbacks,” said David
Calderwood, a grower from Tama and president of the ICGA.
NORTH DAKOTA: The North Dakota Senate voted
down a bill that would have required service stations to sell
10 percent ethanol-blended fuel. Aside from the ethanol requirement,
the bill included a $20 million alternative fuels development
program, along with investment incentives for ethanol, hydrogen
fuel cells, wind turbines and biodiesel.
WISCONSIN: By September 2006, the former Schreier
Malting plant in Sheboygan could be retooled to produce some
20 million gallons of ethanol annually and employ up to 30 people,
under a plan unveiled by Oshkosh-based Utica Energy on Monday.
Sheboygan officials toured Utica’s ethanol plant outside
of Oshkosh on Monday, then met with officials from Utica, Cargill
and C.R. Meyer and Sons Co., the company in charge of the $30
million renovation.
KANSAS: General Motors announced Tuesday at
RFA’s National Ethanol Conference that it is providing
Kansas and 27 other states with flexible fuel E-85 vehicles.
The states are members of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition,
a bipartisan group of governors devoted to the promotion and
increased use of ethanol. Kansas Gov. Sebelius will become chair
of the group in 2006.
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