Glasgow Daily Times, Glasgow, KY

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September 22, 2008

Agriculture is the issue

Candidates voice views during Farm Bureau meeting

By AMBER DILLEY

GLASGOW — During the annual Barren County Farm Bureau membership meeting on Saturday night, the 9th District Senatorial candidates got the chance to address agricultural-related issues.

The candidates, Independent Gary Elliot, Republican David Givens and Democrat Steve Newberry, all mentioned in their opening statements they are products of working in the agriculture business and culture.

The first issue on the agenda was support for House Bill 611, which will make permanent the allocation of money from the Master’s Settlement Agreement. Currently, the Agriculture Development Board allocates 50 percent of the money into agricultural programs and 50 percent goes toward early childhood education.

All of the candidates support House Bill 611.

Givens said, “What House Bill 611 has done that few of us can really appreciate is it allow us in agriculture to move forward and diversify.”

Newberry said that the bill will make sure projects are paid out of the general fund, instead of pulling money out of the Agriculture Development Fund.

Another bill, House Bill 44, supported by Kentucky Farm Bureau is also supported by all three candidates.

The bill will require that there be a limit on an increase in property taxes to four percent plus new growth. It also requires a voter referendum to decide on a tax rate in excess of that amount.

On the question of increasing the cigarette tax, none of the candidates favored raising the tax.

Elliot said that he didn’t agree with raising the tax now, but it’s not out of the question for the future.

“This is a tax that would affect the lower income people more dramatically than it would others,” Elliot said. “That will hit too many people that do not need it.”

The questions then moved on to renewable energy.

The candidates were asked their positions on the energy policy 25/25, which states that by the year 2025, 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States will come from renewable sources of energy, without sacrificing the production of safe, abundant and affordable food.

Newberry said local growers have the opportunity to start growing things that can be converted into energy.

Givens added: “This is a golden opportunity for us. A local company called Alltech, last year, was able to obtain a $30 million grant to begin this process we’re talking about. This will start happening in Kentucky by the end of 2009, taking switch grass and wood waste and turning it into energy.”

Elliot said that as one of the 1,000 Climate Project Presenters in the U.S., he thinks any organic material that can be converted into energy, should be.

“I’m very excited about what we can do here in Kentucky,” Elliot said. “I’m glad people are getting on board with it.”

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