Health care, education and jobs that contribute to the economic well being of all Kentuckians are the focus of issues that Kentucky Farm Bureau will press for legislative action during the upcoming General Assembly.
   "Health care continues to be our top priority," said Laura Knoth, Kentucky Farm Bureau’s director of public affairs and chief lobbyist. "It is a concern for all Kentucky families – not just our members - and we will be looking at all opportunities to increase access and control costs."
   The core of Kentucky Farm Bureau’s long-standing policy on the issue is endorsement of changes in existing law to encourage competition among insurers, increase consumer choice and allow for association health plans to offer group savings for more families.
   Kentucky Farm Bureau, the largest membership organization in Kentucky with 462,494 member families, also has a long history of supporting education at all levels.  The reason behind the push for strong education programs from kindergarten to retraining nontraditional students for the high tech jobs that existing and future employers create is simple, Knoth said.
   "An educated Kentucky is a prosperous Kentucky. It is what will take Kentucky forward.  If we stop learning, we stop growing."
   An example of legislation that Knoth identified would enable high school students to prepare for the evolving job environment is a proposed bill that would expand access to career and technical classes in such areas as health sciences, pre-engineering and information technology.
   Knoth said support for education and the state’s future can be found in Kentucky Farm Bureau’s call to fund renovation and improvements at the FFA Leadership Training Center in Hardinsburg.  Approximately 3,000 high school students from urban and rural areas take part in programs designed to develop upcoming generations of leaders every summer.
   The 60-year-old facility has not been upgraded in some time and needs new sprinkler systems, a larger cafeteria and dilapidated buildings repaired.
   "The money requested by the Department of Education, which manages the center is minimal but urgently needed," Knoth said.  "We are training our future leaders from all across Kentucky there. These are our children, and they are entitled to a safe environment."
   Health and safety also are factors in the organization’s call to restore funding for the renovation and expansion of the University of Kentucky Livestock Diagnostic Center in Lexington and the Breathitt Veterinary Center that Murray State University operates in Hopkinsville as well as incentives for new veterinarians to enter large animal practices.
   While the state’s $4 billion agriculture industry obviously would benefit from improvements at the veterinary facilities, Knoth said, the testing and research into new techniques and medicines for animal care ultimately are for the protection of consumers.
   "Our animal labs are where our future scientists train and learn," Knoth said.  "They also are our front line of defense in the event of disease outbreak such as West Nile, which affects people and animals."
   On the economic front, Kentucky Farm Bureau also is calling for the continued allocation of 50 percent of the state’s share of tobacco settlement money to support agricultural diversification as mandated by the 2000 General Assembly.
   The organization objects to subsequent shifts to earmarking money from the settlement’s Agricultural Development Fund to finance debt service for other projects not associated with the transition from a farm economy based on tobacco production.
   Kentucky Farm Bureau’s position is that allocations from the Agricultural Development Fund should go for programs that directly benefit farmers and improve net farm income as intended.
   "Ag development funds have allowed many producers to move from tobacco to other products – from beef cattle to grapes to greenhouses to tourism," Knoth said. "There are people who want to continue raising tobacco, but for those who don’t or cannot, helping them find other means of preserving the farm land and open spaces that make Kentucky a special place to live and visit is essential."
   Kentucky Farm Bureau officials have been laying the groundwork for the 2008 session well in advance of the Jan. 8 starting date.
   The organization maintains an office in Frankfort, and Knoth and her staff research every pre-filed bill as well as measures introduced during annual sessions. As a matter of routine, they also attend House and Senate committee hearings and work year-round with legislators, the governor’s office and state agencies to ensure that the interests of Kentucky Farm Bureau members are protected and that the priorities and concerns that were first identified as needing special attention at the local level are addressed.
   (For more details on the Kentucky Farm Bureau legislative priorities, go to the organization’s Web site at www.kyfb.com. To contact lawmakers directly, call 502-564-8100.)
   Knoth is optimistic that legislators will act on the understanding that the issues and priorities raised by Kentucky Farm Bureau will strengthen the state’s overall economic base.
   "The members of the General Assembly have a tough job," Knoth said. "And we will work with them for the best interest of all."

By Rachael Kamuf
Kentucky Farm Bureau