Text: SSB03081 Text: SSB03083 Text: SSB03000 - SSB03099 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 1 3 RESOLUTION BY CHAIRPERSON McLAREN) 1 4 A Senate Concurrent Resolution urging that the Iowa 1 5 Agricultural Industry Finance Corporation 1 6 immediately begin implementing the Iowa 1 7 Agricultural Industry Finance Act in a manner that 1 8 encourages local agricultural producer-led ventures 1 9 to expand production and processing of high value 1 10 agricultural products, including agricultural 1 11 processed products. 1 12 WHEREAS, agriculture is undergoing rapid transformation 1 13 that poses a clear and immediate threat to the economic 1 14 viability of traditional farm families, including a crisis 1 15 caused by disastrously low agricultural commodity prices and 1 16 by the development of large scale integrated systems for 1 17 producing and processing agricultural commodities, and for 1 18 marketing these agricultural processed products, and that 1 19 increasingly removes autonomy and control from the hands of 1 20 farm families; and 1 21 WHEREAS, in 1998, the General Assembly enacted Senate File 1 22 2415 (1998 Iowa Acts, chapter 1207) establishing the Iowa 1 23 Agricultural Industry Finance Act in order to allow farm 1 24 families to control their own destinies; and 1 25 WHEREAS, the fundamental purpose of the Act is to assist 1 26 persons actively engaged in farming, and specifically 1 27 individual farmers and family farm businesses, to acquire 1 28 capital in order to expand production, processing, and 1 29 marketing of high value agricultural products, to organize new 1 30 business structures within the state to carry out these 1 31 ventures, and to market and deliver increasingly high value 1 32 agricultural products to consumers around the world; and 1 33 WHEREAS, in order to ensure that farm families are provided 1 34 a stake in their own future, the Act created the Iowa 1 35 Agricultural Industry Finance Corporation, requiring that 51 2 1 percent of the corporation's common stock and voting stock be 2 2 held by farmers; and 2 3 WHEREAS, the General Assembly expects that as long as the 2 4 corporation carries out a public purpose and is supported with 2 5 public moneys, it will conduct business in an open manner and 2 6 that its board of directors, officers, and employees will be 2 7 available to the committees and members of the General 2 8 Assembly, as well as to any inquiry by legislative agencies 2 9 and staff; and 2 10 WHEREAS, since the success of any private corporation 2 11 depends upon initiative and responsibility to its shareholders 2 12 when acting in compliance with its purpose, and since the 2 13 transition period for the Iowa Agricultural Industry Finance 2 14 Corporation should be concluding, the General Assembly fully 2 15 expects the corporation to immediately provide for the 2 16 ownership of the corporation by agricultural producers, 2 17 greater representation on the board of directors by 2 18 agricultural producers, and the relocation of the corporation 2 19 to permanent headquarters; and 2 20 WHEREAS, the purpose of the Act is to create new wealth in 2 21 this state beginning on the farm, by capitalizing new ventures 2 22 that provide for the processing of value-added agricultural 2 23 products and that provide fundamental opportunities for farm 2 24 families to participate and financially benefit; and 2 25 WHEREAS, the purpose of the Act is not to create a 2 26 corporation for the purpose of investing public moneys in 2 27 order to enrich agribusiness corporations or entities 2 28 associated with the initial board of directors to the 2 29 exclusion of farm families; NOW THEREFORE, 2 30 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2 31 CONCURRING, That the General Assembly insists that the Iowa 2 32 Agricultural Industry Finance Corporation and its initial 2 33 board of directors comply with the purpose of the Act, and 2 34 urges the board to begin immediately implementing the 2 35 provisions of the Iowa Agricultural Industry Finance Act in a 3 1 manner that is consistent with the Act and this resolution; 3 2 and 3 3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate 3 4 mail a copy of this resolution to the President of the Iowa 3 5 Agricultural Industry Finance Corporation for presentation to 3 6 its board of directors. 3 7 LSB 6600SC 78 3 8 da/as/5
Text: SSB03081 Text: SSB03083 Text: SSB03000 - SSB03099 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 2000 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
Comments about this site or page?
webmaster@legis.iowa.gov.
Please remember that the person listed above does not vote on bills. Direct all comments concerning legislation to State Legislators.
Last update: Tue Feb 8 03:35:34 CST 2000
URL: /DOCS/GA/78GA/Legislation/SSB/03000/SSB03082/000207.html
jhf