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It’s been two months since the last magazine and, during that time, NC staff and officers saw the wrap-up of the 2006 Nebraska Legislature. It was a successful legislative session for the association, with three out of four priority bills passed. It meant hours and hours of meetings with senators and their staffs, as well as testifying before committees, buttonholing senators in the hallways, and forming coalitions and compromises with other interest groups. Property tax relief, environmental issues, public schools, business growth incentives, worker’s comp reform and taxes were some of the issues that NC addressed. And it wasn’t just Lincoln staff at the Capitol; NC leadership and board members put many miles on the truck coming to the statehouse to represent members’ interests. In return, NC staff put the miles on as they wrapped up the winter banquet season at local cattlemen’s affiliates across the state.
Here are some of the other activities that took place in late winter and early spring on behalf of NC members:
- Staff and/or leadership attended the Dawson County affiliate meetings in February, March and April.
- NC staff and officers attended the Furnas County affiliate annual banquet in February at Cambridge high school.
- NC testified at a U.S. House Agriculture Committee field hearing on the 2007 Farm Bill in Nebraska City.
- Field staff assisted the Fort Kearney affiliate with a planning meeting for the coming year.
- NC staff and leadership helped the Phelps/Gosper affiliate plan the June Midyear meeting in Holdrege.
- NC leadership met with all five of Nebraska’s congressional delegation in Washington D.C.
- Field staff helped plan and carry out the annual banquet for the Harlan County affiliate, which met in March in Orleans.
- Leadership met with the Nebraska Ethanol Board as part of NC’s efforts to enlist the state’s agriculture industries in helping UNL through its budget problems. NC is looking to raise money privately to fund replacements for retiring UNL professors. NC is looking specifically at making sure that Terry Klopfenstein and Jim Gosey are replaced when they retire.
- NC attended the Kearney/Franklin Affiliate meeting in April at Minden.
- NC met with the executive director of the Nebraska Brand Commission regarding rustled cattle and brand law legislation.
- NC attended the Burwell affiliate meeting in April near Elyria.
- NC assisted and attended the annual Cuming County affiliate banquet in Wisner.
- The annual Platte Valley “Ladies Night” included a discussion of the beef industry by Dave Wimmer of Wimmers Meat Products of West Point. NC assisted with that event in Columbus.
- NC assisted and attended the Burt County affiliate banquet in Tekamah.
- NC leadership, representing the association’s Research & Education Foundation, met with UNL and agreed to commit to raise $150,000 to support UNL’s agriculture and animal science efforts during the university’s budget shortfall.
- NC planned and staffed a series of QSA meetings around the state. NC brought in USDA’s top QSA certification officer from Washington, D.C., to explain the program and what’s needed to qualify.
- Field staff attended at least two spring bull sales to meet with members and promote membership among non-NC members.
- NC attended the Saunders County “Testicle Festival” at Morse Bluff, as well as the Saunders County affiliate meeting in Weston.
- Field staff helped a western affiliate plan a membership drive.
- NC assisted and attended the Boyd-Holt affiliate meeting in Stuart.
- NC leadership met with UNL’s John Owens, vice chancellor of the Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources, along with College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources dean Steve Waller and Animal Science Department chairman Don Beerman to review the college’s recruiting of ag students. A shortfall in student numbers has led to a tighter budget, and NC offered to help the ag college recruit more students. NC is also working with other Nebraska farm groups to launch a private initiative to help the agriculture college.
- NC leadership attended the annual banquet of the Nebraska Simmental Association.
- NC went to the Capitol and represented the Nebraska cattle industry at three bill-signing ceremonies.
- NC staff and leadership attended the York County Cattlemen meeting to discuss state action on environmental regulation.
- To convey NC policy, top staff and leadership met with many candidates for legislature and other statewide races. NC also co-sponsored a 3rd Congressional District candidate forum.
- Top NC staff and officers conducted many media interviews regarding Japanese beef trade, legislative bills, environmental issues and even the bird flu.
- Staff and officers attended the annual Governor’s Ag Conference in Kearney.
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