Wisconsin farmers have a message to politicians: It doesn’t matter who gets credit for helping — it matters that the help is there.
Speaking with farmers from throughout the region during recent weeks, I’ve heard farmers express dismay about reactions going back and forth between the state Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers where potential state assistance for farmers is concerned.
The governor, during his recent State of the State address, outlined a series of proposals to help turn around Wisconsin’s agricultural and rural fortunes. Those proposals included create a dairy export initiative, increase UW-Extension agriculture education staffing, expand the state’s Farm-to-School food program and create a program to help connect farmers with mental health services. The governor also said he’s creating an Office of Rural Prosperity to help people navigate state programs and resources.
The actions the governor, a Democrat, proposed would cost about $8.6 million. He said the Legislature should hold a special session to take the needed funding to a vote.
State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, speaker of the Republican-controlled Senate, and Rep. Robin Vos, leader of the Republican-controlled Assembly, both said the governor’s proposals could have some merit. However, they tossed aside the notion of a special session, instead saying the governor should have first met with them to develop such proposals and that legislative committees would instead talk with constituents about the plans before making any legislative commitments.
The legislative leaders then said yesterday that they have a package of their own to help the state’s farmers and rural economy — plans they said will be much bigger and better than the governor’s plans. They didn’t release any details about what those plans might be, but said the details will be coming later.
The governor responded that, if whatever the Republican legislators’ plans might be, they should step forward with the details and get to work on them. Gov. Evers said he’d be happy to sign legislation on plans that are bigger and better than those he proposed — but that there’s a real need for help to quickly be put into place.
More than 800 dairy farms went out of business last year in Wisconsin, and the state last year led the nation in farm bankruptcies. As the farmers I’ve spoken with suggested, it’s unlikely that it really matters who gets credit for whatever help comes from the state government as long as that helps return farming and the rural economy — and ultimately the state’s overall economy — from totally failing.
Those farmers don’t care about the politics. They only want help.
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