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Newsletter“Making Every Resource Count”

115 SE 8th Street • Pendleton OR 97801 Phone: 541-276-7330 • Fax: 541-276-1723

http://www.owgl.orgVolume 28, No 9May 6, 2015

2015 Legislative Session UpdateAmanda Dalton, Dalton Advocacy, OWGL Lobbyist

Week of 4/27/15

Of the 2500+ policy bills introduced this session, a little over 1100 died with the passing of the First Bill Deadline. The next important bill deadline is May 22nd, where bills must be posted for a work session in their 2nd Chamber. These deadlines do not apply to Rules, Revenue and Joint Commit-tees (Ways & Means). Below is are a few status updates on issues of impor-tance and hearings/votes for next week. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.Pesticides A new bill has been introduced which contains all of the Pesticide Work Group components. You can view the bill online at: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Downloads/MeasureD-ocument/HB3549/Introduced We continue to urge Legislators to support the Pesticide Work Group concepts and not advance any proposals around ad-ditional notification requirements, new reporting requirements, or larger buffers.GE/GMO The work group bill, HB 2509, which passed the House Floor last week is awaiting Committee referral on the Senate side. The broader discussion around market-districts and co-existence is on-going with House Leadership. There remains significant interest in advancing ‘more’ around this topic this session and it is possible we will see proposed language as soon as next week. We remain active participants at the table. Labor Bills HB 3025, commonly referred to as ‘Ban the Box’ which prohibits an employer from asking about a criminal conviction on the application, and until after the interview – or if no inter-view – until after a conditional offer has been made, passed off the House Floor on Tuesday on a vote of 33 to 27. The major-ity party has committed to continue to work on this bill as it advances to the Senate. HB 2386, which grants Bureau of Labor and Indus-tries (BOLI) new authority to issue temporary cease and desist

Oregon Wheat Feeds the World – OWGL Theme at AgFest OWGL staff along with Eric Orem, President and part of his family enjoyed interacting with visitors to the Oregon Wheat display at the annual AgFest in Salem last weekend. OWGL President Eric Orem, his wife Brandi, and their two youngest children spent their Saturday at the booth cooking pancakes, handing out materials and visiting with folks waiting for a fresh hot pancake. Eric noted, “When farmers seem to be hit from all sides on regulations, taxes and other concerns, it was refreshing to hear people thank us for growing their food.” The audience was more than eager to snap up a fresh, hot pancake, and Sunday afternoon, the children frosted and decorated a graham cracker, which was a bit hit. The 2-day event boasted near record numbers – not a surprise since the weather was beautiful! All in all, the increase in popularity of the exhibit confirms the League’s sponsorship value. AgFest is held the last weekend in April. For more information, visit: www.oragfest.com/

Eric Orem’s family: Mason, Brandi and Madison

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Legislative Update . . .Continued from page 1

CEO Report

The CEO’s Report is a very quick overview of the CEO’s activities from the prior week. If you have questions or would like more information on any topic, please contact Blake through either the League or Commis-sion offices.”

CEO’s Report – Week of 4/19/15

The first couple of days were part of my vacation to visit family in Texas, but I don’t think my wife appreciated my attempts to keep up with events at the Oregon Legislature while we traveled. As soon as I got back to the PNW, I headed to Pendleton to spend some time in the League office. One main purpose for the trip was to sit down with staff and work on the details for a proposed FY15/16 budget for the League. The other was to make a presentation as part of a Wheat Commission panel to the Pacific Northwest Grain and Feed Association’s An-nual Country Elevator Council meeting (figure out an acronym for that). I was joined on the panel by Glen Squires from WA and Cathy Wilson from ID. There was also time to meet with Commission Chair Bob Newtson and League President Eric Orem to do a brief annual review of programs and personnel. Tracking a variety of legislative issues filled the re-mainder of the week.

orders was delayed for consideration until next week. While this amended version does include an exemption for businesses engaged in the “ongoing harvest or distribution of perishable agricultural products” - it allows the Commissioner to issue the temporary cease and desist order after the completion of harvest or distribution that is in progress. The ag and business lobby have made this a priority bill to kill on the House floor.Minimum Wage Bob Moore released the results of a statewide survey this week which examined Oregonian’s support for an increase in Oregon’s minimum wage to $12 an hour. The survey found this increase is supported by 55% and opposed by 41% of voters statewide, with only 4% having no opinion on the issue. From his press release: “While on the surface 55% support may appear promising for supporters, ballot measure campaign observers would not consider passage a sure thing. Historically speaking, ballot measures that fail to reach 60% in early polling typically end up losing on Election Day,” says Bob Moore, President of national polling firm Moore Information. View the entire survey at: http://www.moore-info.com/my_polls/minimumwageoregon/ On April 28, Marion County Farm Bureau President John Zielinski and Board member Angela Bailey participated in a live radio conversation sharing agriculture’s concerns with the proposal to increase the minimum wage. Listen online at: http://www.opb.org/radio/programs/thinkoutloud/segment/represented-minimum-wage/ Hearings & Votes this Week:HB 2444 ~ Public Hearing Dept. of Ag’s bill which would authorize the Depart-ment to coordinate agricultural mediation services for disputes directly related to activities of the department and agricultural issues under jurisdiction of the department.

CalendarMay 25 ~ Office Closed in observation of Memorial Day

Hyslop Field DayMay 27, Corvallis

Gilliam / Morrow Golf ScrambleJune 3, Willow Creek Country Club (see page 6)

OWGL Board MeetingJune 8, Pendleton

CBARC Field Day & Ice Cream SocialJune 9, Pendleton

CBARC Field DayJune 10, Moro CBARC

HB 2007A – Public Hearing ~ Senate Workforce Makes imposition of disciplinary action against em-ployee that inquires about or discloses wage information unlaw-ful employment practice. HB 3025 and HB 2386 - House Floor Vote Bills are explained on page one.

Executive Team:President Eric OremVice President Tyler HansellSecretary/Treasurer Dana TucknessImmed. Past President Jerry MarguthChief Executive Officer Blake Rowe

Issues Liaison: Environment & Regulations Jerry MarguthFarm Policy Walter Powell Research & Technology Craig Reeder

Ex-Officio: Dan Steiner

OWGL Board of Directors Proud to Serve Oregon’s Wheat Producers

County Presidents:Central Oregon Kurt FeignerCentral Oregon VP Evan ThomasKlamath County Brent CheyneMalheur County Dana TucknessMorrow County Brent MartinSherman County Alan von BorstelUmatilla County Tyler HansellUnion/Baker Counties Rob LaneWallowa County Kurt MelvilleNorth Willamette Valley Zach ChristensenSouth Willamette Valley Brian Glaser

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CEO Report. . . . .Continued from page 2

Week of 4/26/15 The week was mostly about budgets. The League Ex-ecutive Committee met by conference call to adopt a proposed budget for FY 15/16. After considering our current financial position, projecting conditions through the end of the year, and discussing the draft budget developed by staff, they adopted a proposed budget for consideration by the full Board at their meeting scheduled for June 8th in Pendleton. The Commission met on Thursday to go through much the same exercise, although the Commission budget process is somewhat more complicated due to the variability in assessment income and the need to consider and prioritize funding for a host of research and marketing proposals. Expectations for an average crop (optimistic) or below average crop (more likely) left the Commissioners with some difficult decisions. A draft FY15/16 budget was adopted for consideration at the next Com-mission meeting, which was set for June 15th. Other activities worked in around the budget efforts included participation in a legislative issues panel at the last Board of Agriculture meeting and a presentation and dinner for a trade team consisting of major milling company executives from Japan.

ODA Creates Online Pesticide Complaint Intake Feature

Oregonians with complaints about a pesticide incident can now file their concerns online with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, which has set up a new pesticide complaint intake feature on its website. ODA hopes online reporting of incidents will make it easier for citizens to provide important information to the agency and result in a more timely response. “We really encourage the public to let us know as soon as possible if there has been a pesticide incident impacting health or the environment so that we can immediately investi-gate the matter if it is warranted,” says Dale Mitchell, manager of ODA”s Pesticides Program. “ODA is the agency that inves-tigates improper use of pesticide products, but unfortunately, many people don’t know where to go if they have been impacted or become aware of a pesticide incident. The sooner we receive information from those folks, the sooner we can respond.” Upon receiving a pesticide complaint, ODA also refers it to the Pesticide Analytical and Response Center (PARC), which acts as a clearinghouse for all PARC agencies. Member agencies have specialized roles, expertise, and authority, work-ing under a larger federal framework to ensure the safe use of pesticides. These agencies have collaboratively improved state coordination and communication when responding to concerns of pesticide impacts to people, animals, and the environment. Once a pesticide complaint is received– online, by email, or by phone– the complainant can expect to hear from ODA or a PARC member agency within one business day. PARC has also created a one-sheet document that can be con-verted into a poster, which provides a quick-guide of what to do and who to call in the event of a pesticide incident concern. It can be found at: <http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/Pesti-cides/Pages/PARC.aspx>. While ODA accepts complaints of many types of pesti-cide incidents, there is specific interest this time of year in large-scale bee deaths that may be related to the use of pesticides. “Many times, there is the assumption that bee deaths in Oregon occur because of the impact of pesticides,” says Mitchell. “Certainly pesticides, including neonicotinoids, cannot always be immediately ruled out but there may be many other potential causes. If we can receive information quickly, we can gather samples and learn more about the incident so that we can identify the cause. Last year we had incidents in Clackamas County where assumptions were made that pesticides were the cause of bee deaths when, in fact, there was no such evidence and no levels of pesticide residue were found in the dead bees. Likewise, our investigations can also confirm pesticides as the cause of bee deaths, as was the case in Wilsonville two years ago.” ODA encourages individuals who come across a large bee kill– roughly 100 or more bees– to report the incident by

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Wheat Foundation Announces 2015 Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to our 2015 Scholarship Winners. The Oregon Wheat Foundation awarded $1,000 scholarships to students from eight counties. One at-large scholarship was also awarded this year. Students were judged on their community involvement, academic achievement and an essay on a wheat industry topic. Scholarship winners are: Michelle Lehman, Baker County; Byrce Vincent, Jefferson County; Remy Brentano,

19th Annual OWF Golf Scramble Tuesday, May 5th, proved to be a beautiful day for the 19th annual Oregon Wheat Foundation Benefit Golf Scramble. OWF board members Dale Case, Jerry Terjeson, and Kevin Porter gratefully noted the support of the other 72 golfers who joined them on the links, and acknowledged the generosity of the thirty businesses and organizations that sponsored the event. The event benefits the Foundation’s varied projects and grants, including the annual scholarships, Agriculture in the Classroom, Century Farms & Ranches, and other activities. Awards were presented as follows:• 1st Place Team (pictured): Austin Justesen, Asa Richelderfer, Owen

Smith and Mike Jesch.• 2nd

Place Team: Austin Allen, Marty Meads, Aaron Barnett, and Corey Wade

• 3rd Place Team: Marc Gaffrey,Todd Lindsay, Brian Thompson and Colin Anderson

• Men's and Women's Long Drive prizes were awarded to Owen Smith and Dede Greb, respectively.

• Ladies's KP was awarded to Dede Greb. For more photos of the event, please visit the OWGL website at www.owgl.org.

A special Thank you to our Sponsors

Albaugh, Inc./AgriStarBank of Eastern Oregon

Banner BankBisnett Insurance

Cockburn & McClintock, CPAsCommunity Bank

DA DavidsonFarm Equipment Headquarters

FMCGavilon Grain

Grain CraftHelena Chemical

Master Printers NWMcGregor Company

Mid Columbia InsuranceMid Columbia ProducersNW Farm Credit Services

NW Farm Credit Services InsuranceOregon Agri-Business Council

Oxford SuitesPatton & Associates

Pendleton Grain GrowersRDO, Hermiston

Stone Family Farm TrustGerald & Jerry Terjeson

Tom's Country - TomDenchel FordTum a Lum Lumber, Pendleton

Western States EquipmentWheatland Insurance Center, Inc.Woodpecker Truck & Equipment

Marion County; Oskar Peterson, Morrow County; Meagan McKinney, Sherman County; Taylor Entze, Umatilla County; Daniel Allen, Union County; Jake Kortge, Wasco County; and Lauren Garrett, Morrow County. See the August issue of the Oregon Wheat magazine for the full story and photos of the 2015 scholarship winners. The scholarship application for 2016 high school graduates is available at www.owgl.org.

OWF News

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Pesticide Complaint . . . . .Continued from page 3 NAWG Applauds Introduction of theFederal Water Quality Protection Act

During a press conference, a bipartisan group of sena-tors announced the Federal Water Quality Protection Act that requires the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rewrite the proposed waters of the U.S. regulation. “We applaud the efforts by this group of Senators and the introduction of this bill that seeks to protect the water quality of navigable waters and more clearly define what waters of the U.S. includes and does not include,” said NAWG President, Brett Blankenship. “On behalf of the nation’s wheat growers, we look forward to working with Congressional leadership to ensure a swift passage. We are very supportive of this legislation that addresses significant flaws in the proposed WOTUS rule.” NAWG also joined a group of agricultural organiza-tions voicing support for the Act by signing on to a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. This legislation establishes sound principles to guide the agencies’ action on a “waters of the U.S.” rule so the final result reflects the statutory limits created by Congress.

NAWG Officers Meet in DC for Spring Retreat

The NAWG officers traveled to Washington D.C. for their 2015 Officers' Retreat. The leaders conducted annual plan-ning and worked with NAWG staff to refine the organization’s policy goals for the year. They also participated in a series of meetings with members of Congress, Hill staffers and USDA of-ficials to reiterate the need for increased trade and research. The leaders also met with former-Senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole (R-KS), thanking Senator Dole for his decades of service to American agriculture and his continued support for wheat. NAWG’s leadership team left Washington feeling opti-mistic about the future of TPA, TPP, and the American wheat industry as a whole.

Like us - on Facebook!Our FaceBook page is gaining in popularity. You can “Like” us at www.facebook.com/OregonWheat.

NAWG Update

House Ag Committee Approves Grain Standards Act Legislation

The House Agriculture Committee considered legisla-tion to reauthorize the Grain Standards Act (GSA). The pro-posed legislation—introduced by Chairman Conaway, Ranking Member Peterson, Subcommittee Chairman Crawford, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Walz—would reauthorize GSA for five years. It includes some transparency provisions as well as changes to the ways fees are structured. Additionally, the bill would require a review of any state delegated authorities that cease inspections and would require the Federal Grain Inspec-tion Service (FGIS) to step in to provide inspections should state agencies cease their responsibility. If FGIS is not able to step in within a specified timeframe, the bill would allow other state delegated or designated agencies to provide inspections at such facility for up to 90 days. The Committee approved the legislation unanimously. NAWG is gathering input from our members, and will continue to engage with the House and Senate Agriculture Committees on this important issue. The Senate Agriculture Committee with be holding a hearing on this topic where the panel will hear from various segments of the value chain.

using the new online complaint system or contacting ODA by phone or email. The same process is in place for other incidents where pesticides may be involved. The new online pesticide complaint reporting system can be found at <http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/Pes-ticides/Pages/PesticideComplaints.aspx>. Individuals can also contact ODA’s Pesticides Program at (503) 986-4635.

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Please join us for a fun day of golf to benefit wheat programs in Morrow and Gilliam Counties. Team and individual prizes will be awarded, raffle drawings and much more. Registration opens at 8:30 am, with a shotgun start at 9:00 am. Register your foursome, or individually.

Please return the completed form with your payment by Wednesday, May 27th to: Oregon Wheat Growers League 115 SE 8th Street, Pendleton, Oregon 97801 or fax: 541-276-1723; or call (541) 276-7330

Golf carts are limited - please reserve your cart(s) by Wednesday, May 27th, with the Willow Creek Country Club: 541-676-5437

Sponsorships Available!

Hole SponsorBreakfast Sponsor

Lunch SponsorSnacks/Beverages

4-Some Prizes

Door Prizes/logo items always welcome!

Call the OWGL office: 541-276-7330

Thank you for your support!

Morrow/Gilliam Counties Wheat Growers

Golf ScrambleJune 3, 2015 • Willow Creek Country Club • Heppner, OR

_____# of players @ $45 each $________

Hole Sponsorship ($100) $________

Other Sponsorship $________

Total Paid $________