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October 5, 2001
State Agricultural Policy Board takes shape
The first legislative members of the newly-created Agricultural Policy Board have been appointed to review agriculture policy and programs in Texas.
House Speaker Pete Laney named State Rep. Bob Turner of Voss, State Rep. Robby Cook of Eagle Lake and Jim McReynolds of San Augustine to the Agricultural Policy Board, which was created by HB 453 this past session.
State Rep. David Swinford, who chairs the House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, State Sen. Robert Duncan, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs will also serve on the Board as voting members, as dictated by the statute. Three other senators are awaiting appointment by Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff to complete the nine-member panel.
The Board will review the full range of agriculture issues, including current policies, legislation, budgets and statutes. It will make recommendations to the next Legislature for new strategies in agriculture production, income and employment that benefit consumers and promote efficient and sustainable use of natural resources.
A 15-member ad hoc advisory committee will be created by the Board to assist in its work. Texas Farm Bureau is working to ensure that one or more representatives of our organization has an opportunity to serve on the advisory committee.
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Water will continue to be a top concern of lawmakers during the interim, just as it was during the legislative session.
A Joint Committee on Water Resources and a Texas Water Advisory Council have been formed and their members named as a result of legislation (SB 2) passed last session.
The Joint Committee on Water Resources will conduct an interim study and make recommendations on increasing the efficient use of existing water resources and developing long-term water financing strategies. The panel will also study water marketing, ways to improve existing water conveyance systems, the appropriate role of environmental and wildlife concerns in water permitting and water development, and how to better protect the natural condition of beds and banks of state-owned water courses. Committee members include State Reps. David Counts, Robby Cook and Robert Puente, along with State Sens. Buster Brown, David Bernsen and Teel Bivins.
The Texas Water Advisory Council is designed to heighten the level of dialogue on significant water policy issues and, in an advisory role only, provide focus and recommendations on state water policy initiatives. House members appointed to the Council are State Reps. David Counts, Gary Walker and Ron Lewis. The Senate has yet to name its Council members.
