Scorecard shows need for farm-friendly legislators

» October 18, 2006 «

A score of 53 percent would earn an F on most school examinations, but the annual legislative scorecard issued today by the state's largest farm organization shows a more complicated picture.

The California Farm Bureau Federation said that, on average, legislators cast farm-friendly votes on key bills 53 percent of the time. But rural representatives, Republicans from throughout the state and several moderate Democrats earned passing scores. And the scorecard shows that Gov. Schwarzenegger remains an important backstop protecting family farmers and ranchers.

"People who care about the future of California-grown food and farm products should check our scorecard and make sure they vote for farm-friendly candidates," California Farm Bureau President Doug Mosebar said. "Go to our Web site, check your representative's record and see if he or she has earned your vote in the coming election."

The complete report, called the 2006 Family Farm Scorecard, may be viewed on the Farm Bureau Web site at www.cfbf.com. The site also lists farm-friendly candidates endorsed by the Farm Bureau.

The scorecard tracks votes on 10 key bills in the state Assembly and six bills that reached the Senate and the governor.

"Our scorecard shows the critical role Governor Schwarzenegger plays in protecting family farmers and ranchers," Mosebar said.

According to the scorecard, the governor agreed with Farm Bureau positions on two-thirds of the bills reaching his desk. Schwarzenegger vetoed several bills that threatened the business climate and signed a Farm Bureau-sponsored measure to streamline water-rights enforcement.

Unfortunately, Mosebar said, the Legislature continues to send the governor bills that make it harder for California farms and ranches to remain sustainable in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

"A favorable political climate is as important as the soil, water, air and markets needed to sustain California farms and ranches," he said. "We will continue to work to elect farm-friendly candidates and to educate elected leaders about how their votes affect farmers and ranchers."

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 88,000 members.

Contact: Dave Kranz
Phone: 916/561-5550
news@cfbf.com

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.