ADVOCACY REPORT
With election season well underway, more than 2,000 bills introduced in the California legislature, and the deadline for Congress to pass funding bills draws near, it’s safe to say the world of government and politics is an eventful one. Fortunately, Congress has passed six of 12 appropriations bills, including legislation that funds the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. However, the remaining appropriations bills are unfinished and include funding for departments that expired at midnight on March 22, 2024. These bills include approximately 70 percent of discretionary spending and funding for the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services. A deal remains to be seen due to disputes over immigration and border provisions in the Homeland Security appropriations bill. The Farm Bill, or lack thereof, remains a critical priority for agriculture. At the end of last year, Congress extended Farm Bill programs through September 30, 2024. The
Agricultural committees will attempt to pass a Farm Bill during an election year, which is no easy task. As of now, neither the House nor Senate Agriculture Committee has introduced their own version of the Farm Bill. In California, the State legislature is in full swing introducing more than 2,100 bills this year, a decrease from the record- breaking 2,700 bills introduced in 2023. Priorities for the legislature include artificial intelligence (AI) and retail theft. The budget deficit will have significant impacts on bill proposals with new estimates suggesting a $73 billion deficit. This is causing the administration and legislature to halt, delay or defer spending for critical programs while finding new sources of revenue for the state. The agriculture industry will see this firsthand as it fights for funding for important programs and negotiates the governor’s proposed mill tax, which could increase fees on pesticides. California held its primary elections on March 5. As expected, voter turnout was dramatically low in California
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ALMOND FACTS
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