A42-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 3, 1990
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) An official with the Pen
nsylvania Farmer’s Association
(PFA) said he expects debate
among county delegates to be mild
when the association determines
its 1991 policy at an upcoming
annual meeting in Hershey.
Every year, during its annual
meeting of county delegates, the
PFA develops policy which serves
to inform legislators as to the orga
nization’s stance on issues.
This year’s 40th annual meeting
is scheduled from Nov. 12 to Nov.
14 in the Hershey Lodge and Con
vention Center.
The state policy is a reflection of
all policies adopted at the county
level. Those policies are passed to
the state level of the association to
be reviewed, compared, compiled
or eliminated.
Last week, to prepare policy
recommendations for delegates to
debate and vote upon, the PFA
Policy Development Committee
met in Harrisburg for three days of
meetings.
John Bell, legislative counsel to
the PFA, said that, m reviewing the
policy recommendations that are
to be considered, delegates have a
full but not volatile agenda.
“I think the resolutions commit
tee did a good job of consolidating
numerous related issues into a
single policy resolution and elimi
nated those resolutions already
part of the (PFA) policy. That’s
why we (PD committee) met. We
eliminated those county resolu
tions which already are law or part
of PFA policy,” Bell said.
“Those resolutions which are
fully dealt with in PFA policy, the
job is to consolidate (various
recommendations) to present to
the delegate body at the annual
meeting,” he said.
Bell has been representing PFA
since 1981. He said that over the
years, this year’s issues could be
compared to the weather non
hostile.
“Generally speaking, it seems
that some of the more difficult
issues the dairy issue, the wet
lands issue were dealt with last
year,” Bell said. “So this year,
other than animal welfare and crop
damage, should be a relatively
mild year.”
Session Predicted For PFA Annual Meeting
Mild
However, Bell said that,
because of the lapse in time
between county meetings and the
annual meeting, issues which
come to surface in the
meantime such as the Iraqui
Crisis can still be handled.
“There are a number of reslou
tions to be considered in the area of
wetlands,” he said. “However,
there were a number of other (wet
lands) resolutions last year which
are already part of current policy.”
Crop Damage
“In the area of crop damage, to
summarize, our association is
proposing that farmers have more
convenient means available to
them to shoot game causing crop
damage than is available to them
right now,” he said.
“Also, in the ability of the
animal welfare angencies to enfor
Wetlands
Animal Welfare
ce the crimes code, there is a prop
osal to require greater training and
education on animal husbandry
paractices for those who would be
authorized private organiza
tion representatives who are
authorized to enforce crimes
codes,” he said.
Specifically, Bell said the PFA
is looking for “greater training in
police procedure and that they
have training in animal husbandry
practices.”
Judicial Elections
“Another issue which has gotten
some policy is in the area of
statewide judicial offices and a
proposal being offered which
would require that state superior
and commonwealth court offices
be fulfilled through a regional
election system rather than statew
ide elections,” Bell said.
Farm Labor Law
According to Bell, seasonal
labor is an issue of continued
concern.
He said the PFA will be consid
ering a policy recommendation
“That the Pennsylvania Seasonal
Farm Labor Act be ammended to
provide greater consistency with
federal law, and to make the law
more understandable, and more
consistently applicable in the hir
ing and use of seasonal laborers.”
He said policy proposal also
contains a recommendation that
“. .. limits applicability of the
act to those who are truly seasonal
and to exclude full-time farm
workers from any consideration
under the act.”
ATVs And Snowmobiles
Attempting to better be able to
crack down on those who illegally
operate All-Terrain-Vehicles
(ATVs) and snowmobiles is the
focus of yet another recommenda
tion delegates are to consider.
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“In the area of motor vehicles,
there is proposed resolution which
would require altering ATV and
snowmobile registration numbers
to be larger than those required
now,” Bell said. The reason is
“. . . so that (the vehicles) are
more easily identified; especially
in cases where they are being used
illegally on private property.”
A subject that can generate dis
cussion, but should not cause dis
sention among delegates is the
Widow’s Tax, according to Bell.
“Another issue, which right now
is being considered in the legisla
ture, is the repeal of the widow’s
tax,” Bell said. The widow’s tax is
the taxing of property, not in both
people’s name, that is passed on to
a surviving spouse.
‘There is a resolution to repeal
that tax (because it is) onerous on
farm operations and farm
families.”
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560 Fulton Street
Buffalo. NY 14240
1-800-759-SEED
Widow’s Tax