Agricultural News
Lawmaker Wants Reciprocal Agreement With Texas
Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:04:51 CST
State Rep. Tommy Hardin spent last week's snow days working with a Texas state lawmaker to create a reciprocating agreement that would help farmers and ranchers who cross the Oklahoma-Texas border to buy and sell agricultural products. The Madill Republican says he has been in contact with Texas state Rep. Rick Hardcastle.
"We were working on a reciprocating agreement with Texas that would look like the ones we have with Kansas and Missouri."
Federal law requires farmers and ranchers who travel over 100 to 150 miles or cross state lines to maintain a commercial driver's license, drug testing policies and log books on hours worked on a farm or ranch. The requirements make it difficult for farmers and ranchers to engage in intrastate commerce, Hardin said.
"Farmers and ranchers living on the borders of our state should be able to cross the border to sell or buy agricultural products in surrounding states without the burden of these federal requirements," Hardin said. "Unfortunately, after talking with officials at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, I have learned that this is an issue that must be taken up at the national level. I have checked on passing a law at the state level and found that we would lose 20 percent of our transportation budget, because federal dollars require we follow federal guidelines. In such times as these, I feel we should wait on such a battle with the Feds and seek other ways of amending current law."
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