| August 1, 2019 -- As we are starting to wind down on summer it is time to start thinking about fall and our upcoming State Grange session. Have you begun preparing or submitted any resolutions for the upcoming session? This last state legislative session brought up quite a variety of topics that we as Grange members may be interested in.
We saw the enactment of banning single use plastic bags pass the legislature this year. There were also bills which did not pass recommending the banning of Styrofoam food containers and plastic straws. What about expanding the bottle bill beyond soda and water bottles to include those plastic bottles of juices, teas, and sports drinks.
We saw the legalization of industrial hemp this year which allows our state farmers to begin growing and selling that product. What about the legalization of recreational marijuana? We already allow it for medical reasons. If it is legalized there must be ways to enforce laws such as impaired driving. Is there a way to test for impairment like they do with alcohol?
There was a bill that passed the Senate but died in the House which would have established a task force to study ways to increase farmland availability for beginning farmers. It was to look at the costs of purchasing or renting farmland and the accessibility of farm financing. What do you think?
There is an increase in the bear population in this state with them breaking into homes. Should we now enact some sort of population control for bears, which could include the hunting of bears.
Of course, the big topic which will be returning is tolls. What is your feeling on tolls? We seem to agree that we need to improve our transportation infrastructure, but how are we going to pay for it?
These are just some topics that I remember. What are your feelings on topics being discussed in the state? Write a resolution.
Resolutions should be submitted to your local community Grange then onto your Pomona Granges for action. The deadline for resolutions for State Grange is September 15th. If it is received later than that we cannot guarantee that it will be printed in the State Grange program but it still could be presented at the session. Individuals can not submit resolutions directly to State Grange, they must go through a Grange.
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