State lawmakers talk ag crisis in D.C.

Iowa’s Agriculture Secretary and a bipartisan group of seven state lawmakersare in Washington, D.C. today for a round of meetings with White House staffas well as key members of Congress. Iowa Ag Secretary Patty Judge says themission of the two-day trip is to try to convey the depths of Iowa farmers’financial stress. Judge says six-thousand Iowa farmers are in danger offoreclosure today — and another 30-thousand will soon be in peril iffederal help doesn’t come.Representative Sandy Greiner, a republican farmer from Keota, says herfamily recently sold its hogs as her son got a better-paying, off-the-farmjob. Greiner plans to tell federal policymakers the personal stories of herfinancially-struggling neighbors.Senator Betty Soukup, a democrat from New Hampton, says they’ll pressCongress to grant the U-S Ag Secretary special authority to extend marketingloan contracts which are due soon.Representative Roger Thomas, a democrat from Elkader, says the group asksfor an increase in loan rates, too.Other participants in the trip are Senator Jack Kibbie, a democrat fromEmmettsburg; Representative Dolores Mertz, a democrat from Ottosen; SenatorDaryl McLaren, a republican from Farragut and Senator Thurman Gaskill, arepublican from Corwith.