SENATE COMMITTEE ON

AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

March 07, 2003 Hearing Room HR B

10:00 AM Tapes 31 - 32

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Frank Shields, Chair

Sen. Roger Beyer, Vice-Chair

Sen. Tony Corcoran

Sen. Bill Fisher

STAFF PRESENT: Judith Callens, Committee Administrator

Megan Jensen, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting

Scenic Waterway Review progress report

SB 500 Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 501 Public Hearing and Work Session

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 31, A
005	Chair Shields	Calls the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Opens informational meeting as a subcommittee.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING Scenic Waterway Review progress report
010	Michael Carrier	Director, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). Provides a progress report on the OPRD review of Oregon’s scenic waterway system resulting from SB 606 (01) (EXHIBIT A).
066	Chair Shields	Asks to be kept apprised of the progress made.
070	Carrier	Agrees.
073	Chair Shields	Requests progress reports go to both the Chair and the Vice-Chair.
080	Carrier	States that the goal is to come up with consensus-based recommendations for the committee to endorse.
085	Sen. Beyer	Asks about horsepower limits on motors used for mining.
089	Carrier	Explains the horsepower limits.
105	Chair Shields	Closes informational meeting and opens full committee Summarizes SB 500 and SB 501 and discusses sending the bills to Ways and Means.
SB 500 and SB 501 – PUBLIC HEARING
135	Judith Callens	Committee Administrator. Gives overview of SB 500, which appropriates moneys to Department of Human Services for the provision of fruits and vegetables from farmers' markets to individuals eligible for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program. Gives overview of SB 501, which appropriates moneys to Department of Human Services for the seniors farmers' market nutrition program.
145	Rep. Dave Hunt	District 40. Provides testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501 (EXHIBIT B). Asserts that SB 500 and SB 501 will address hunger problems and the plight of farmers who need assistance.
192	Don Schellenberg	Oregon Farm Bureau. Gives testimony in support of SB 500 and 501. Believes SB 500 and SB 501 will help farmers and citizens who are in need of food assistance. Suggests amending SB 500 and SB 501 to include farm produce stands.
250	Chair Shields	Remarks that if farm produce stands could have been included, they would have been included.
254	Callens	Offers to research the issue.
270	Suzanne Briggs	Oregon Farmers’ Market Association. Provides testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501 and believes that farmers’ markets are supported by the dollars invested in the WIC program.
330	Sen. Fisher	Asks if farm stands can be included in SB 500 and SB 501.
335		Committee discussion of meeting organization.
353	Chair Shields	Inquires if retail outlets have started accessing locally grown produce.
358	Briggs	Explains that some retail stores are beginning to seek out locally grown produce.
370	Jack Gray	Winter Green Farm. Provides testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501 (EXHIBIT C). Believes that SB 500 and SB 501 will help put federal dollars into the Oregon farm economy while supplying much needed fresh produce for Oregonians in need.
TAPE 32, A
020	Patti Whitney-Wise	Hunger Relief Task Force. (EXHIBIT D). Discusses attempting to include roadside farm stands in the WIC program.
031	Chair Shields	Confirms that she is working on getting authorization at the federal level for farm stands.
043	Sen. Fisher	Agrees that farm produce stands should be included in the WIC program.
054	Sen. Beyer	Asks if SB 500 and SB 501 in their current form would include farm stands or whether it would need to be redrafted.
058	Whitney	Responds that SB 500 and SB 501 would not need to be redrafted.
072	Mike Hessel	Farmer. Provides testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501. Talks about the educational aspects of running a farm stand to sell produce.
101	Angela Hoard	WIC receiver. Supports SB 500 and SB 501. Talks about her experience using WIC vouchers at farmers’ markets.
124	Sharon Thornberry	Oregon Food Bank. Provides testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501 (EXHIBIT E). Discusses the benefits of accessing farmers’ markets for better nutrition and to provide hunger relief to needy citizens.
197	Donalda Dodson	Department of Human Services Office of Family Health. Provides testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501 (EXHIBIT F). Discusses the benefits of allowing farmers’ markets in the WIC program.
241	Chuck Craig	Department of Agriculture. Gives testimony in support of SB 500 and SB 501. Believes the program is beneficial in numerous ways.
256	Chair Shields	Recommends SB 500 and SB 501 go to the Ways and Means committee. Closes public hearing and opens work sessions on SB 500.
SB 500 – WORK SESSION
260	Sen. Beyer	MOTION: Moves SB 500 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation and BE REFERRED to the committee on Ways and Means.
265		VOTE: 4-0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote Aye.
268	Chair Shields	The motion CARRIES. Closes work session on SB 500 and opens work session on SB 501.
SB 501 – WORK SESSION
270	Sen. Beyer	MOTION: Moves SB 500 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation and BE REFERRED to the committee on Ways and Means.
275		VOTE: 4-0 AYE: In a roll call vote, all members present vote Aye.
282	Chair Shields	The motion CARRIES. Closes work session on SB 501 and adjourns meeting at 10:55 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Scenic Waterways, SB 606 (01), written testimony, Michael Carrier, 8 pp.

B – SB 500 and SB 501, written testimony, Dave Hunt, 1 p.

C – SB 500 and SB 501, written testimony, Jack Gray, 1 p.

D – SB 501 and SB 501, written testimony, Patti Whitney-Wise, 3 pp.

E – SB 500 and SB 501, written testimony, Sharon Thornberry, 1p.

F – SB 500 and SB 501, written testimony, Donalda Dodson, 2 p.

G – SB 500 and SB 501, written testimony submitted by Phillip Kennedy-Wong, 1 p.