January 13, 2022
(Passcode: j$4@=uU)
Minutes
Rep. Sibilia called the meeting to order at 8:02am.
Rep. Sibilia outlined a press conference scheduled for later in the day at noon to announce the “first ever” Rural Omnibus bill. Reps. Kimbell, Sibila and Feltus will each speak briefly in support of the bill, highlighting the tripartisan nature of the REDWnG caucus and its support for the bill. A release has gone out to a number of media outlets as well as to the list of individuals involved in the forest economy tour that took place this summer and fall. All members were encouraged to attend, and a number indicated that they plan to.
Rep. Sibilia made the group aware of a last-minute request from the Working Lands Enterprise Board for an additional $2 million for the Working Lands Enterprise Fund in the Budget Adjustment act. The House Committee on Agriculture & Forestry heard testimony yesterday from Ellen Kahler, who sits on the board. This year they have received over 40 viable applications totaling $6.2 million in requests. The board only has $3 million remaining to award. Rep. Norris recounted the testimony and that the committee was unanimously in favor of supporting the addition. The House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development was also made aware of the request and expressed their support. Rep. Sibilia recalled that WLEF is something that REDWnG has supported in the past, and introduced the possibility of the caucus sending a letter of support to the House Committee on Appropriations on behalf of the addition. Rep. Sibilia read a draft letter to members. A short discussion followed in which several members expressed their support for the idea. A virtual poll was taken and, a large majority of members being in favor, it was decided to send the letter.
Rep. Rogers gave an overview of a short form Transportation bill which draws elements from the Omnibus Bill to facilitate their passage through committee. The first provision of the bill would increase weight limits for 6- and 7-axle truck permits to match the State of New York. Currently, axle weights are included in the overall weight limits and therefore prevent larger trucks from carrying additional load, despite their ability to better distribute the weight. The second provision of the bill would set a deadline on the work underway to create a centralized portal for truckers to access municipal permitting processes, rather than navigate individual municipal systems. Rep. Rogers answered questions from several members and asked for a show of hands of those willing to sign on in support of the bill.
Representative Sims asked whether a centralized bill-tracking tool would be helpful to the work of the caucus. A short discussion followed in which several members expressed support for the idea, and shared reflections on experience with similar tools used in other contexts. It was agreed that it would be helpful to create a spreadsheet with a bill number, short summary, current location and status of:
Bills connected to the Rural Omnibus Bill
Bills proposed by members during the crafting of the Omnibus Bill that did not make it into the final version
Any other bills that come forward in Caucus discussion.
Rep. Sims’ intern will work on the tool, which could live on the REDWnG website.
Other Bills of Interest: There were no reports on other bills.
The next meeting will be Thursday, January 20th, at 8:00am. Rep. Sims will be in touch with the link and an agenda early next week.