HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) —The leader of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) has called for action by the General Assembly on legislation to protect property rights and implement local tax re form. PFB president Guy Donald son also recommended legislative action to reform die civil justice system and to make Pennsylvania part of the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact Donaldson issued the call for action during a banquet March 30 attended by about 300 farmers and state legislators at the Ramada Inn on Market Square in Harrisburg. Earlier in the day, the farmers had Secretary Hayes Provides Avian Influenza HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Agriculture Secretary Samuel E. Hayes Jr. this week announced that a flock of 80,000 laying hens in Lancaster County has been con firmed positive with die N7N2 avian influenca virus. A site quar antine has been imposed, covering 300,000 birds. “This flock was discovered through the intensive testing ALUMINUM GRAIN BODIES & ALUMINUM REPAIRS by $* These ultra-light bodies are designed for strength through engineering, not strength with bulk. For example, a 16' grain body with tailgate and 48" sides wei lv 14! length or any side height up to 60" • Double swinging hay hauling tailgate • Barn door type tailgate • Slide out cattle chutes HEWEY WELDING Box 2312, RD4 Lebanon, PA 17042 (717)867-5222 PFB Calls For Assembly Action visited members of the General Assembly to voice the Gum or ganization’s support for legisla tion on issues affecting agricul ture. PFB is a voluntary, statewide organization representing 25,247 member families in 54 county farm bureaus. Calling voter approval of the “homestead” exemption referen dum last fall a “giant step for ward.” Donaldson outlined what Farm Bureau believes are the cor rect ingredients for local tax re form. “A tax reform package must have the flexibility for the local municipality to be able to pick the which we continue to conduct," Hayes said. “We are disappointed and continue to stress the need for maintaining the strictest biose curity.” This flock is immediately out side the area that was under quar antine from May through Septem ber of last year. The flock will not be destroyed. To date, 21 flocks have been lbs, complete We'll build you any io aval • Diamond flooring • Pull out panel tailgates • Any size grain chute ’right mix’ of taxes to meet local needs,” he said. That mix should include property taxes, income taxes and sides taxes, he added. “Farm Bureau wants local tax reform with meaningful reduc tions in real property taxes,” he declared. A sure way of achieving tills is by providing universal re ductions in assessment value and the rate of taxation, Donaldson said. “Any interpretation of home stead provisions should include the farmstead property including farm buildings located on the farm being used as the fanner’s primary residence.” Farm Bureau also believes nui- determined to have the N7N2 vir us, affecting a total of 2.6 million birds. Hayes praised the poultry in dustry’s strong cooperation with the Agriculture Department and said surveillance will continue. Last June. Gov. Tom Ridge signed legislation to appropriate Quality Assured Case IH Parts BEST PARTS.... BEST DEAL.... BEST VALUE ®When You Need Parts, Call SALEM For FAST Courteous Service. Express PgPe" Service To Your Farm.... Please Call Today. 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Vergertnes,Vermont 05491 I sance taxes, such as the per capita, personal property and occupation taxes, should be eliminated. A final ingredient is giving tax payers the right to vote on local tax rate increases and the incur ring of local debt, Donaldson said. Farm Bureau supports local tax re form legislation, S 3. 2, plus the addition of a property tax exemp tion for “farmstead” farm build ings. Farm Bureau is supporting a legislative package, S 3. 1248 - 1250, to protect property rights from state regulatory encroach ment “The three bills would re- Update $5 million for poultry producers affected by the outbreak. Some of those funds remain available for affected owners. Hayes stressed that die H7N2 virus is no threat to human health and that poultry products are safe for human consumption. raONE: 717-426-1144 or 717-394-3047 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 4, 1998-A43 quire state agencies to assess the impact of proposed regulations on private property, before they be came regulations,” Donaldson ex plained. The bills would also give the Independent Regulatory Re view Commision the power to re ject regulations that constitute a “takings” of private property with out compensation. In addition, the bills would allow a property own er who successfully files a “tak ings” claim in court to recover up to $50,000 in attorney’s fees. Turning to another priority is sue for Farm Bureau, Donaldson said, ‘The dairy industry across the nation continues to undergo severe financial strife for many different reasons. Dairymen here in Pennsylvania are looking at a self-help type program to improve their market situation. A large fac tor in this equation is the North east Dairy Compact which will enable dairy farmers to receive a more profitable price for their product” Farm Bureau supports S.B. 170 which would enable Pennsylvania to join the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact which currently operates in six New England states. New York state must also join so Pennsylvania can be “linked” to the Compact states and Congress must approve expansion of die Compact 'erf et t >rALL ig and iming nailer vaca- ish-up ig and allci Dwers trucls ;hl tor use' If the Compact was in force today, Donaldson said, “The consumer would not be paying more for milk and milk products. However, the farmers’ share of the re tail dollar would in crease.” Farm Bureau is also working with the Civil Justice Coalition to re form the civil justice system. Persons who are injured and are success ful in a lawsuit, “Often are better off financially than what they were be fore they were injured,” Donaldson said. “The system was not de signed for creating wealthy individuals.” This aspect of the civil justice system needs to be reformed, Donaldson I said. Frivolous lawsuits are another problem which clog die court system and boost the cost to doing business in the state. The Civil Jus tice Coalition plans to introduce legislation that will reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits, Donaldson said. “It will place a cap on punitive damages. This legislation will also ask the defendant to pay only for the damages caused by the defend ant. It will not ask a de fendant to pay a larger percentage just because others don’t have the money.” Donaldson urged legislators to support Farm Bureau’s position in all four of the issues he discussed—local tax reform, protection of property rights, the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact, and civil justice reform.
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