State

Jim Moyer, a grower from Columbia County and a WAWG board member, testified in front of the Senate Ways and Means Committee on SB 5126, a Climate Commitment Act (implementing a cap and trade program), and SB 5096, a capital gains tax. Here is his testimony: SB 5126 Good morning Chair Rolfes, Ranking Member Wilson and members of the Committee: ... Read More »

By Dr. Xianming Chen Based on the predication models using the weather data from Nov. 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, wheat stripe rust is forecasted to be in the low end of the normal epidemic level range (20-40 percent yield loss) in the 2021 growing season. The models predicted highly susceptible varieties to have 22 percent yield loss. This number ... Read More »

Yesterday marked the 63rd day of the 2021 Legislative Session. On Tuesday, March 9, the Legislature reached a milestone—the deadline to pass bills out of the house of origin which means House Bills must be voted out of the House and Senate Bills must be voted out of the Senate. Bills that did not meet that deadline are considered dead ... Read More »

Ryan Poe, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, testified today in support of HB 1199, compensation for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources terminating agricultural leases early, in a hearing in the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Park Committee. Here is his testimony: Good morning Chair Van De Wege, Ranking Member Warnick and members of the Committee: For ... Read More »

Michele Kiesz, a grower from Adams County and a Washington Association of Wheat Growers board member, testified this morning in front of the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee against E3SHB 1091, a bill that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon intensity of transportation field (a low carbon fuel standard, or LCFS, bill). Here is her testimony: ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Thursday marked the halfway point of this year’s 105-day regular legislative session, which is scheduled to end on April 25. Lawmakers in both chambers have been debating and taking votes on dozens of bills in lengthy day and late evening sessions for the past two weeks. Unless considered Necessary to Implement the Budget, all bills ... Read More »

Ryan Poe, president of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers testified today in a hearing in the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee on SB 5373, a carbon tax bill. You can watch the hearing here. Below is Poe’s testimony. Good morning Chair Carlyle and members of the committee: My name is Ryan Poe and I am a fifth generation ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Monday, Feb. 22, was the second legislative deadline, when all bills must have been voted out of their respective fiscal committees to remain “alive.” Since then, the Legislature has mostly ceased committee action and is focused on floor action for the time being, which entails the entire chamber (either the House of Representatives or the ... Read More »

The lower Snake River and its four dams is a multi-purpose system balancing economic benefits and environmental protection for the entire Pacific Northwest. The dams continue to make our region strong and balanced by irrigating our farms, shipping our goods, generating clean power, and supporting our economies. Join Karl for the sixth episode of the 22nd Annual Tri-Cities Regional Economic ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The Washington Legislature has before it a proposal to require the use of low-carbon fuels in cars and trucks. The fuels, mixtures that would include more ethanol and diesel made from cooking oil, canola and other feedstocks, would reduce the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. While farm equipment would be exempt from the low ... Read More »