For further information contact:
Sen. Steve Nass (608) 266-2635
Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR), issued the following statement today regarding the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s efforts, known as Clearinghouse Rule 19-098, to make major revisions to Wisconsin’s livestock facility siting process (Administrative Code-ATCP 51):
“Wisconsin’s agricultural industry contributes an estimated $104 billion annually to our state’s economy and farmers are facing some of the most difficult economic challenges in decades. These economic challenges are often made worse by costly government regulations that the agricultural industry must comply with in order to operate their businesses.
In recent weeks, it has been stunning to watch as DATCP bureaucrats have been rushing to move forward potentially devastating regulatory changes to the current rules on livestock facility siting. These bureaucrats have all but ignored the input from Wisconsin’s agriculture community and instead seem to be in a rush to create a political conflict with the Legislature.
It would be a terrible mistake for DATCP to formally submit their current version of rule changes to the Legislature. Instead, the department should scrap their current process and begin anew, this time seeking to work cooperatively with the widest representation of Wisconsin’s agricultural community.
However, if the agency prefers the route of confrontation, then that is exactly what they will get from the Legislature and farmers of this state. I will have no hesitation in seeking to utilize the authority granted to the joint committee in blocking the flawed rule changes.”
