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On Oct. 31, the Agriculture Committee held its second and final interim public hearing for the year.
This hearing was held for four interim study resolutions: LR153, LR168, LR257, and LR258. Additionally, the committee received a briefing by Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge, Omaha Field Office of the FBI, on threats to the agriculture sector by domestic and foreign actors from the FBI perspective.
LR153 was introduced by Senator Storer for the purpose of gathering information relating to electronic identification devices utilized as a method of identifying and managing animals for disease, surveillance, and control regulations. Farms and ranches are increasingly adopting digital technologies in their operations, including electronic identification devices (EIDs). While such technologies can increase efficiency, they also potentially open the door to new cyber vulnerabilities that could result in disruptions to food production, supply chains, and national security. At the hearing, several experts from industry and academia testified and outlined the need for improved data security practices, such as using encrypted virtual private networks to transmit data collected from EIDs and other agricultural digital technologies.
LR168 was introduced by Senator Ibach for the purpose of examining the purposes, uses, and utility of the Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Species Assistance Fund. The Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Species Assistance Fund was created in 2004, and its use expanded to address riparian vegetation in response to lawsuits with neighboring states involving water flows from the Republican River. This study was brought amid concerns that the Nebraska Department of Agriculture was not allocating funding for invasive species control in riparian areas. The hearing provided an opportunity for the impacted NRD and county officials to outline how they are using the grants awarded from the Fund to manage invasive riparian plants like phragmites in the Republican River water basin. Locally, the Fund has been used to help manage purple loosestrife and other invasives in the Niobrara River and other area waterways.
LR257 was introduced by Senator Bostar for the purpose of examining foreign and domestic threats to Nebraska agriculture. Director Sherry Vinton of the Department of Agriculture outlined how her agency has implemented the Foreign-owned Real Estate National Security Act to investigate suspicious land transactions involving foreign adversarial nations. Meanwhile, two individuals from a national organization known as State Shield also testified before the committee.
These two testifiers outlined how the People’s Republic of China represents a considerable national security threat to the United States, including in the area of agriculture, through policies such as intellectual property theft and market manipulation.
LR258 was introduced by Senator Armendariz for the purpose of examining a philanthropic endowment and location to host a week-long camp for certain children who live in low-income urban areas to learn about agriculture.
Director Sherry Vinton of the Department of Agriculture detailed how her agency currently provides opportunities for Nebraska high school juniors and seniors from across the state to participate in the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute, a weeklong experience to learn more about careers in agriculture.
I invite you to let me know your thoughts or concerns. My Capitol office telephone number is (402) 471-2801 while my email is [email protected]. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.
