Two groups noticeably absent at Livestock Bill signing

The Iowa Farm Bureau and Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture were noticeably absent from the ceremony as Governor Tom Vilsack signed the livestock bill into law this morning. The Farm Bureau criticized the legislation, saying it might force some smaller farmers out of business, but Aaron Putze, a spokesman for the group, says their absence today should not be considered a protest.Putze says the bill was made more workable and practical than when discussions first started, but he says livestock producers will still face more regulation.Putze says the Farm Bureau will now press to stress “sound science” rather than social concerns when the rules are written to implement the law.One of the Farm Bureau’s main objections was the “per animal” fee which will be instituted to finance regulation of the livestock industry. Putze says many producers feel it’s another tax on their business that they’ll have to account for as they work to remain profitable.Iowa Ag Secretary Patty Judge, another critic of the bill, did not attend today’s ceremony either.