This week started out with the Senate Crime Prevention committee hearing more bills dealing with sex offenders. One bill brought before the committee would give sex offenders indeterminate sentencing until they are deemed safe to society by a parole board. Another bill heard dealt with the “loophole” existing in a current law. The law states that sex offenders must register with the police. The bill addresses issues with those sex offenders who are homeless and therefore not in a designated area. The bill would require these individuals to notify police in each area they are in. Wednesday the committee also heard testimony on the confirmation of the Commissioner of Public Safety, Rich Stanek. There will be another hearing scheduled to continue this testimony and discussion soon. Wednesday was a significant day at the capitol, unofficially dubbed “Dairy Day” by the Senate agriculture, veterans and gaming committees. The committee heard four bills regarding ways to promote the dairy industry. The first bill established a dairy loan program which would grant a no-interest loan to farmers to purchase up to six additional cows, with a maximum of $1,000 per cow. The bill would grant farmers a six-year window to pay back the loan. If passed, the legislation would increase the state’s milk production by 8 percent. The second bill was passed by the committee to appropriate an additional $1 million starting in FY2005 to the Dairy Development and Profit Enhancement Program. The program is a voluntary program which brings in a team of experts to look at ways to improve the farm. This can deal with anything farm-related, from animal health to business practices. The program is an effort to increase efficiency and production. Last year more than 500 farmers joined and used the program, with more than 3,000 applicants since its conception in 1997. The committee passed a tax credit bill of 5 cents per 100 weight if the dairy farmer produces a milk product with an average somatic cell count of under 150,000. This count is a health indicator to attest that healthy cows are producing healthy milk. Lastly, the committee looked at a bill that is similar to the ethanol payment program, except that it establishes a milk production assistance program. The issue was brought before the committee by a group of students who did a project to help stimulate the dairy industry. The proposal would provide beginning milk producers $1 per 100 weight for the first 1 million pounds for the first five years, not to exceed $10,000 per year. The only stipulation is that the beginning milk producer must participate in a farm management program while receiving these benefits. This is an attempt to ensure that the farmer has as much information as he/she will need to run a successful farm. Thursday’s Health and Family Security committee brought in nurses from around the state. The nurses testified to the committee for increased funding to increase the number of teachers to instruct and turn out more nursing students. Currently, the number of nursing students to teacher ratio in a clinical operation is 10 to 1, to ensure safety. Other bills discussed this past week included the right of secondary students to carry non-prescription drugs such as Tylenol, with parental consent, to school, and a bill to allow the students to also carry their Epi-Pens (epinephrine for allergic reactions) with them to school. In the past, the legislature did pass legislation to allow students to carry their inhalers with them in school. As always, I welcome your comments and concerns. I can be reached at my office as listed above.
