Matthews earns Farm Bureau endorsement for assembly re-election

» September 23, 2004 «

The California Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors has endorsed Barbara Matthews (D-Tracy) for re-election in the 17th Assembly District.

"Barbara has proven herself an independent thinker who puts problem solving ahead of partisan politics," said California Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Pauli. "As one example, she showed support for farmers and ranchers by working to continue Williamson Act funding despite opposition from her party's leadership."

The Williamson Act, a key farmland-protection tool, faced loss of its funding during the Davis administration because of the state budget crisis. Matthews led legislative efforts to retain the needed money.

"As chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, she worked to reform the workers' compensation insurance system as rising costs were making it hard for family farms and small businesses to create new jobs," added Pauli.

Barbara Matthews was first elected to the Assembly in 2000. She chairs the Assembly Select Committee on the Future of Farming in California, as well as the Committee on Agriculture.

"It has been a pleasure working with Barbara Matthews over the years and we look forward to working with her in the future," Pauli said.

The 17th Assembly District includes key agricultural regions in Merced, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. The counties produce more than $4.8 billion worth of agricultural commodities each year.

To date, other California Farm Bureau endorsements include Gary Podesto for the 5th Senate District as he challenges incumbent Mike Machado, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Guy Houston for re-election to the 15th Assembly District.

The California Farm Bureau Federation, the state's largest farm organization, will mobilize nearly 90,000 members statewide to influence the outcome of the November election.

Contact: Kiran Black
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.