Call to Order and Roll Call
The 3rd meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture was held on Thursday, August 25, 2011, at 10:00 AM, in the VIP Boardroom at the Kentucky State Fair . Representative Tom McKee, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator David Givens, Co-Chair; Representative Tom McKee, Co-Chair; Senators Joe Bowen, Paul Hornback, Vernie McGaha, Dennis Parrett, Joey Pendleton, Dorsey Ridley, Damon Thayer, Robin L. Webb, and Ken Winters; Representatives Royce W. Adams, John "Bam" Carney, Mike Cherry, James R. Comer Jr., Jim DeCesare, Mike Denham, Myron Dossett, C. B. Embry Jr., Sara Beth Gregory, Richard Henderson, Kim King, Martha Jane King, Michael Meredith, Brad Montell, Fred Nesler, David Osborne, Sannie Overly, Ryan Quarles, Tom Riner, Steven Rudy, Rita Smart, Wilson Stone, Tommy Turner, and Susan Westrom.
Guests: Representative Jim Gooch; Representative Dennis Horlander; Senate President David Williams; House Speaker Greg Stumbo; John McCauley, FSA State Director; Karen Wooldridge, NRCS State Director; Ann Blair Thornton, Miss Kentucky 2011; Harold Workman, President and CEO of the Kentucky State Fair and Exposition Center, and members of the Kentucky State Fair Board.
LRC Staff: Biff Baker, Lowell Atchley, Stefan Kasacavage, Stewart Willis, and Susan Spoonamore.
The July 13, 2011 minutes were approved by voice vote and without objection upon motion made by Representative Henderson and seconded by Representative Kim King.
Report of the Kentucky State Fair Board
Harold Workman, President and CEO of the Kentucky State Fair and Exposition Center, discussed some of the board’s construction priorities, including the reopening of Kentucky Kingdom and the demolishing of Cardinal Stadium to make room for an outdoor amphitheater. He estimated that Kentucky Kingdom should be ready to reopen in 2012, providing 1,000 temporary jobs during the summer for youth and 100 permanent jobs. Mr. Workman also stated that in order to keep trade shows in our state, the Conference Center and some of the buildings at the Fair needed maintenance and expansion. Without improving those buildings, he was concerned that competition from other states would lure trade shows away from Louisville.
Responding to questions, Mr. Workman stated that the new horse barns have increased the number of entries at Exposition Center events.
Mr. Workman informed the members that the KFC Yum Center has been very successful in booking concerts. Excluding the sale of basketballs tickets, the Center is ranked 10th in the United States and 29th in the world for tickets sales.
USDA Proposed Rule for Improving the Traceability of Livestock
Dr. Robert Stout, State Veterinarian, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, discussed the recent rule proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) relating to animal disease traceability. The rule would require that all interstate movement of livestock be monitored and that livestock be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation. Each state would be required to develop a monitoring system. Dr. Stout stressed the importance of disease traceability.
Responding to questions, Dr. Stout stated that his office has been involved in the planning of the USDA rule from the beginning. He estimated that tagging animals would cost approximately $1.50 per head, and that it would cost approximately $125,000 to $150,000 to monitor traceability. The rule should go into effect in the spring of 2012.
Senator Givens asked LRC staff to prepare an estimate of how much it would cost Kentucky to monitor the traceability of animal diseases as proposed under the new rule.
Representative Tom McKee informed the members that a memo relating to a recent decision by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was in their packets. The memo explains the position of the administration regarding the transport of agricultural products.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:25 a.m.