AJR77: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-3634/1

RCT:jlg:mrc

1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 77

September 21, 1999 - Introduced by Representatives Ott and Reynolds. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AJR77,1,1 Relating to: reform of the federal milk marketing system.

AJR77,1,4 Whereas, the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) was originally authorized in the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 in the midst of the Depression to encourage the availability of milk throughout the nation; and

AJR77,1,6 Whereas, advancements in refrigeration and transportation have eliminated the need for regional milk production; and

AJR77,1,9 Whereas, as we enter the 21st century, a price system for fluid milk that uses for its basis a farm's distance from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, both is irrelevant to the market value of the product and creates nationwide market inequities; and

AJR77,1,13 Whereas, in 1996, the United States Congress required the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as part of the federal farm bill, to reform the Federal Milk Marketing Order program by consolidating the number of federal orders, as well as authorizing the secretary to make other reforms to the FMMO; and

AJR77,2,3 Whereas, the reformed FMMO reduces the number of federal orders from the current 31 orders into 11, and makes several other important reforms, including the minimum pricing of Class I (drinking) milk; and

AJR77,2,5 Whereas, the milk marketing order is voluntarily initiated and must be approved by two-thirds of the producers affected by the order; and

AJR77,2,9 Whereas, an overwhelming majority of dairy producers nationwide have approved this FMMO in a nationwide referendum, with each district approving the changes by votes of over 90% and the Upper Midwest, which includes Wisconsin, approving the changes by 96.1%; and

AJR77,2,12 Whereas, as mandated by Congress, the FMMO is being restructured to move the dairy industry closer to a market-oriented economy, yet continues to include economic safeguards to provide for orderly market conditions; and

AJR77,2,15 Whereas, in order for Wisconsin dairy farmers to continue to operate successfully, they need to be able to compete with dairy farmers nationwide on a level playing field, toward which this reform is a healthy first step; and

AJR77,2,18 Whereas, due, in part, to these market inequities, Wisconsin has gone from having 34,000 dairy farms in 1990 to only 23,000 dairy farms in 1998; now, therefore, be it

AJR77,2,21 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature urge Congress to resist attempts to destroy this vitally necessary nationwide reform of the federal milk marketing system; and, be it further

AJR77,2,25 Resolved, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature ask all of the members of the Wisconsin congressional delegation to continue their hard work to see that legislation, such as H.R. 1402, is not adopted and the long needed reform of the FMMO is allowed to be instituted on October 1, 1999; and, be it further

AJR77,3,4 Resolved, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature urge President Clinton to continue his administration's commitment to this nationwide FMMO reform and, if necessary, that he veto any legislation adopted by Congress to halt that reform; and, be it further

AJR77,3,11 Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to the President of the United States; U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman; Representative Denny Hastert, Speaker of the house of representatives; Representative Dick Armey, house majority leader; Representative Richard Gephardt, house minority leader; Senator Trent Lott, senate majority leader; Senator Thomas Daschle, senate minority leader; and each member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation.

AJR77,3,12 (End)