I In a state that is undergoing significant demographic and political shifts, Western Growers is redoubling our efforts to ensure that Arizona legislators and regulators remain supportive of our members and the agriculture industry, both now and into the foreseeable future. In 2019, Western Growers emphasized two main public policy priority areas: taxes and water. The Arizona public policy highlights from 2019 include: - Among the biggest achievements in Arizona was the passage of House Bill 2275, which provided clarification on sales tax for fertilizers and pesticides used in commercial agriculture production. Effective December 1, 2019, these products are now exempt from the state’s sales tax, which will save our members and the Arizona agriculture industry $15 million per year - An additional $20 million of funding for the Central Arizona irrigation districts was also included in the budget to help them comply with the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) - The state also provided $400,000 in general fund money to pay the rent for the State Ag Lab, rather than raiding industry funds to make the payment - The Arizona State Legislature passed their portion of the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan, which preserves the levels of Lake Mead and mitigates the losses if and when the lake drops below Tier 1 and 2 levels. This plan protects water rights in Yuma and offsets losses to central Arizona and Pinal County farmers - Western Growers, in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal , hosted a special event in May where U.S. Senator Martha McSally and members of the Arizona agricultural industry discussed challenges surrounding Arizona’s water supply and quality Arizona Influencing Public Policy in the Southwest
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog