U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday that a Senate vote on the farm bill before the midterm elections appears unlikely, despite the measure clearing the Agriculture Committee last week. Asked by KLIN’s Mark Vail what remains in its way, Ricketts said, “Whether we get a chance to vote on that before the midterm elections, I don’t know. It seems unlikely. Probably gets picked up in a lame duck session.”
Ricketts said committee Chair John Boozman is negotiating with Democrats over when states with high error rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would have to pay a larger share of benefits. He said Democrats want a two-year delay, while a one-year delay has also been offered. Ricketts said Boozman sounded optimistic about reaching an agreement when they spoke late last week.
The committee advanced the bill Sept. 16. It includes a provision allowing year-round sales of E15, a priority for Nebraska’s ethanol and corn industries. A vote by the full Senate has not been scheduled.
Vail also asked Ricketts about his separate proposal to protect data generated by farmers’ connected equipment. Ricketts said implement dealers and others collecting the information would need producers’ written permission to use it: “If you’re collecting that data right now, you’re going to have to change your systems to make sure that you get the farmer or rancher’s permission before you continue to collect that data.”
Ricketts said the federal proposal is modeled on a Nebraska law Gov. Jim Pillen signed in April. That state law recognizes producers’ ownership of data generated by their farms and equipment and requires separate written consent before a company sells the data.