South Dakota Farmers Union officials are pleased with the overall results of the 2017 state legislative session. Farmers Union Legislative Specialist Matt Sibley says one of their big wins was passage of the buffer bill.
He says another victory was funding for the Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at South Dakota State University. Sibley says getting money approved for the facility which wasn’t a large burden on agriculture made it a victory.
Sibley says one disappointment was not being able to get a state wide country of origin labeling measure passed. He says they’re not giving up however, and will bring it back next session. Sibley says misunderstanding of the issue led to its defeat this year.
Sibley says another measure they’ll try to get passed next year is changing the valuation of ag land from its ability to produce income to actual use.
(WNAX)