DENVER – It was a big week last week for Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, as one of two bills that he pledged to kill saw that exact fate in a Democrat-dominated committee, while another looks to be headed the same direction.
The success comes after Pelton spent time talking to those in the Senate he has grown to trust and depend on to support Colorado’s farmers and ranchers, from both sides of the political aisle.
Saying that Colorado agricultural producers already face significant challenges, including volatile commodity prices, rising input costs, labor shortages, and unpredictable weather, Pelton called Senate Bills 26-062 and 26-065 a legislative attack to increase costs and undermine private property rights, making it clear he would do whatever necessary to send these bills to their demise.
A slap in the face
Pelton called Senate Bill-065 a “slap in the face” to rural Colorado.
Sponsored by Democrats Cathy Kipp, Katie Wallace, Kyle Brown, and Elizabeth Velasco, the bill would have required farmers to obtain third-party verification before purchasing or planting certain treated seeds.
Seed treatment is a standard risk-management tool that protects crops during early growth stages. Restricting access to treated seed increases the risk of crop loss due to insect pressure and may lead to greater reliance on later pesticide applications.
“Farmers who own their land, assume financial risk, and have extensive agronomic experience would be required to obtain approval from a state-approved verifier before using treated seed,” Pelton wrote in an opinion piece published early by several other online news sources. “The verifier would determine whether the treatment is ‘necessary and appropriate.’ This requirement goes beyond regulatory oversight and effectively mandates prior approval to farm.”
SB-065 was postponed indefinitely on a vote of 5-2 in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, with Kipp and Wallace the only no votes. Democrats Nick Hinrichsen and Dylan Roberts, who chairs the committee, voted yes with the three Republicans, including Pelton, to kill the bill.
The other bill that is still awaiting its fate is SB-062, which would restrict the sale and use of common rodenticides and glue traps, put ag producers at a great disadvantage to control rodents that can and do cause significant damage to such things as stored grain and irrigation infrastructure.
“These changes are likely to increase costs, crop losses, and financial pressure on producers,” Pelton wrote. “Colorado agriculture operates with narrow margins. Removing efficient tools forces producers to adopt more expensive alternatives or accept greater losses, which can ultimately lead to higher food prices.”
Defending rural Colorado
That bill is headed for action only in the Ag and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, where Pelton is hopeful it will die the same death. Pelton said sponsors Lisa Cutter and Kipp are expected to offer an amendment they hope will sway Hinrichsen and Roberts back to their side.
The bills faced possible doom in the ag committee from the beginning, as it includes Senators representing heavily agricultural communities. Pelton said because of that, sponsors were initially lobbying the Senate President to assign the bills to a committee more favorable to their passage. However, Pelton was able to assure the bills were heard where they naturally belong.
“It’s insulting to tell a farmer, a generational farmer especially, that he is destroying the very land that he lives off of,” Pelton told Complete Colorado. “Senator Roberts has been great protecting ag with the rest of us. He’s a Democrat, but has a lot of agriculture in his district, too.”
Pelton said Roberts has done a good job of making the ag committee very non-controversial.
“He’s done an excellent job of actually talking to the producers on the committee and producers across the state, asking questions and getting information about certain bills,” Pelton said. “These two bills would have an enormous adverse effect on my district, and Sen. (Rod) Pelton’s district, and Marc Catlin’s district, and Dylan Roberts’ district, on how much food we produce for the world.”
