As the legislative session draws to a close in Madison, Wisconsin Senator Pat Testin is reflecting on some wins and some misses that could impact the state’s rural landscape.
In a conversation with Pam Jahnke, Testin acknowledges that they weren’t able to craft workable guidelines to protect Wisconsin’s hemp industry. Under proposed federal changes, ALL hemp production in the United States could be terminated by November of this year. Testin had been working on ways the state could specifically protect the over 500 licensed businesses and approximately 274 to 400 active hemp growers in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the devil is always in the details. Testin says the layers of testing requirements that were being proposed aren’t tenable for the industry. He said he hopes they’ll be able to re-engage with policy makers before November to find a “work around” to preserve the industry here.
Protecting an industry was another motivation for a bill that was introduced late in the legislative process. Testin says a colleague from Walworth county reached out about the possibility of the WI Department of Natural Resources purchasing wetlands near a poultry operation. The purchase itself wasn’t suspect, but the goal was alarming. The DNR planned to convert the land into a estuary for wild birds. Given the acceleration of HPAI cases in Wisconsin’s poultry population, the bill moves to restrict DNR land purchases in this specific situation.
The bill that now can be considered for the governor’s signature would restrict DNR from purchasing land adjacent to or within one mile of a commercial egg farm to prevent the spread of avian flu. The public hearing held on the subject received all the votes necessary to advance it to the governor.
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