February 23, 2011

Goat council bill gored in House says CJOnline.com

Not long ago I wrote on this blog about bill HB2099 which was for the creation of the "Kansas Goat Council" and a new check off fee for every goat sold in Kansas. You can read about it by clicking HERE. I am relieved to report that as the bill was written it does not look like it is going anywhere. I wrote KS Representatives and got the following email statement back from Rep. Jerry Williams.

“Jennifer:: The hearing was held on H B 2099 today in AG Committee. One for the Bill and several NOT for the Bill. I can NOT see this Bill going anywhere. My feedback has been NO to H B 2099 and I agree with the NO group. Rep. Jerry Williams “

Quite a few goat breeders braved some very bad weather that day to go to the committee meeting and have their say about this baaaaaad bill. According to several of them there was only one individual that testified in favor of the new bill and that was the district representative of Jerry Miller, Mr. Seward. Mr. Miller, who is the Kansas Meat Goat Association President was not able to attend the meeting but apparently submitted amendments, the details of which I do not know. Several Kansas goat breeders, both of meat and dairy goats testified against the bill, all making some very valid and good points.

They must have made quite an impression as the following article (link below) was written about the meeting over HB2099 and this writer did a very good job of highlighting just how strong the opposition to this bill was.

Goat council bill gored in House | CJOnline.com

The article is very well written but is wrong about one thing, that the fee would just be for goats going through slaughter houses. As the bill was written it would be for all goats sold, even private person to person sales. If I hear any thing else about this bill I will pass that information on but as it stands right now it does not look like it will be passed. Just another example of why it is so important that people get involved and let their represenatives know how they feel and that we need less government in our lives.

Arby's Goat Commercial


Just thought I would share another funny goat commercial.

February 07, 2011

Attention KS Goat Producers!! New Fees and Laws Coming Your Way!

I apologize for this very late notice but I just learned about this Bill myself. There is a new and important bill in the Kansas House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources which needs your input, pro or con as a goat producer. It goes to committee tomorrow so contact your representatives today! I would also encourage goat producers and hobby farmers from other states to read this bill as something like this might be proposed in your own state in the near future if it gets passed here. Here is a link to the bill:

http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/year1/measures/hb2099/

HB 2099 is for the creation of the "Kansas Goat Council" and a proposed check off fee for every goat sold in Kansas under possible penalty of legal action, fines or imprisonment.

From Bill:

(2) "Any person who unreasonably fails or refuses to pay any assessments due under this act may be subject to legal action by the Council to recover the assessments due, plus interests and costs."

AND

"(e) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be

guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a

fine of not less than $25 nor more than $500, or to imprisonment for not

less than 30 nor more than 90 days, or by both such fine and

imprisonment."

The proposed fee is .50 cents per head at this time but that can be changed (in other words, raised) once per year by the Kansas Goat Council as the Bill is worded now. Right now this Bill does make a provision for a refund of these fees if they are more than $5 and you fill out a form. In my opinion, while it sounds good on the surface, this possible refund, (after you fill out the proper form, etc) is STILL an unfair hassle that could be taken away in the future as some people might look to remove the so called "voluntary" status of this goat check-off. I personally have to wonder just how voluntary a program is that threatens lawsuits and fines if you don't pay their fees upfront??

It is true that if a goat is sold through an auction facility or slaughter house the record keeping may not be as burdensome because the facility will likely deduct the check off fee, proposed in this new Kansas law at that time but it will be different for those who sell breeding stock and person to person sales. It will increase paperwork and force breeders to disclose their customer information. (This is a business for many people and that information should be considered proprietary and confidential.)

Of course there will always be that person that says "Well it is only 50 cents per goat sold, is that going to break you?" No, of course not, but the point is we need less government and regulations in our lives, not more. I also think it is wrong that this goat check-off was proposed and created by ONE single goat association, "The Kansas Meat Goat Association" with no input from other goat clubs, associations or long time breeders outside of the KMGA and no input from dairy goat producers before hand. It is particularly unfair to dairy goat breeders who will help support this check-off with fees for every goat they sell but nothing in return as this is a check-off to promote meat goats in the state of Kansas.

Do I think the promotion of meat goats (and dairy goats and their products too which this bill won't do) in Kansas is a good thing? Absolutely, and in theory if written properly and with the input off ALL kansas goat producers a goat check-off could be a good thing, BUT this is a bad bill the way it is written in my opinion and needs to be tabled at least or stopped so it could be looked at further and discussed with the knowledge and participation of all goat producers in KS, not just the board of the KMGA. I have never personally been a member of the KMGA as one only has to talk to past members or go to their website and read their meeting minutes to get a hint of the strife and disagreements with-in the association.

More from this Bill:

"Section 1. (a) There is hereby created the Kansas goat council.

5 (1) The council shall consist of seven members who shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Kansas meat goat association. The board of directors of the Kansas meat goat association shall act as interim council members until council members can be elected and qualified. Vacancies which may occur shall be filled for unexpired terms by the board of directors of the Kansas meat goat association from among the producers of the state."

I just do not think it is right that this Bill is the brain child of only the Kansas Meat Goat association alone with no input from other non-member breeders of goats in Kansas. It appears from what I have read that no effort was made by the KMGA too include or even make producers aware of this bill as according too even some past members of the KMGA (including a past President of the association that is still actively raising meat goats) that the KMGA never made an effort to contact them or make them aware of the proposed Kansas Goat Council while it was still being discussed by the KMGA. (As these past members have posted this themselves on goat yahoo groups over the past few days.)

The following information was posted on a goat yahoo group and I am passing it on for those that would like to contact the commitee members or testify before the committee tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------

House Bill 2099 – Creation of the Kansas Goat Council – will be heard in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on February 8, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 783 in the Docking State Office Building.

If you would like to testify before the committee, please call Kay Scarlett, Committee Assistant, at 785-296-7694. Please provide 35 copies of your written testimony by 8:30 a.m. the day of the meeting.

---------------------------------------------------------------

HB 2099 is pending before the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Included below are all of the names and email addresses of the committee members. Please contact them today if you have the time and let them know your opinion on this.

February 01, 2011

Kansas Blizzard

My Grandmother used to say if you don't like the weather in Kansas, then wait five minutes and it will change. I don't think she was too far off with that statement for the crazy weather we have had this past week. Just three days ago it was well over 6o degrees and the weather was so nice that I was almost too warm in a light jacket while outside. That was Saturday and this is Tuesday so now we are under a blizzard warning with temperatures predicted to drop well into the negative digits tomorrow night, maybe even down to 9 below! Wow, what a difference three days can make! These first pictures were taken at 8 AM this morning, at that point it had only been snowing a few hours.

Blowing snow early this morning but I could still see the very tops of the tall grass and the black 55 gallon barrel the goats liked to play on last summer. It has been blown over by the fence (look between the tree and shed in the picture.)

This picture was also taken at 8am this morning. The haziness is all the blowing snow. Notice the extra large, orange water tub by the gate. That tub is one of the very large ones with the rope handles you can sometimes find at Wal-Mart, it is taller than my knees.

I feel so sorry for the wild birds in weather like this, I don't know how they survive it. I could still see all 6 strands of this fence this morning.

Here I am trying to open the back door only 8 hours later at 4 PM today!

We live in a mobile home with the tall, wooden mobile home steps but I can't even see the steps below the back porch!

The high winds seems to have kept the snow from drifting too deep in most of the back yard but our burn barrel is still almost half buried in it.

Remember that black 55 gallon barrel I pointed out in the earlier picture, it is not even visible anymore.

The top of the big orange water tub is still visible, just barely! (Don't worry there are no goats in this pasture right now)

That poor, cold, little bird flew off to hopefully find someplace warmer to roost and the fence got a lot shorter today since only the top three strands are now above the snow.

I worry about the animals in this type of weather. Cinnamon the chicken had to be moved to a smaller room in the old farm house so that two of the Boer bucks could be moved to her room for the night. She found a mouse living in her new room and so I don't think she minded. (Do chickens eat mice? She seemed very determined to find that mouse!) The bucks had shelter but a room in the old farm house/shop will be much warmer for them. Tarps have been hung on the front of the doe's sheds and the heated water buckets and stock tank heaters are out and working. I am so ready for Spring!

I don't know how people that live up north deal with all that snow and cold weather! Copied below is the blizzard warning issued by The National Weather Service for our area and information about the storm and weather here! Brrrrrr!


"Issued by The National Weather Service
Wichita, KS
4:02 pm CST, Tue., Feb. 1, 2011

... BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY... ... WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY. A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY.

* TIMING... LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL DIMINISH TO FLURRIES THIS EVENING... WITH BLOWING SNOW AND BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS PERSISTING OVERNIGHT.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE... BRINGING STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

* WINDS... STRONG NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

* IMPACTS... THE STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW... PRODUCING GROUND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN OPEN COUNTRY AND MAKING TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ADDITIONALLY... DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS AROUND 20 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED!

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROSTBITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS... MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES."