Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday signed into law two agriculture bills aimed at making it easier for farmers to do business in Missouri.
Nixon signed the bills at a ceremony in Barry County, which is located southwest of Springfield.
The first bill Nixon signed is the “Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act.” It is designed to help farmers pay the cost of their crop insurance using a pre-determined amount of revenue from a sales tax based the sale of dairy products.
Nixon said the bill will do great things for Missouri farmers.
“By supporting our dairy farmers and encouraging more young people to pursue careers in agriculture, the Dairy Revitalization Act will yield tremendous benefits for our rural communities and our entire economy.” Nixon said in a statement released by his office.
Rep. Bill Reiboldt, R-Neosho, sponsored the bill and said Missouri must always do its best to help those in agriculture.
“As our state’s largest industry and the lifeblood of rural Missouri, we must work to ensure every sector of the agricultural industry has an opportunity to grown and succeed,” Reiboldt said in the statement.
The second bill Nixon signed into law was authored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The bill includes a provision exempting livestock from the weight limits on highways throughout the state, but not including interstates.
Nixon vetoed a similar bill last year because of a provision regulating captive deer and the legislature failed to override his veto by one vote.
Nixon said this bill helps ease restrictions during harvest time.
“Last fall, Missouri farmers saw record harvests throughout the state, but our existing weight limits hampered the ability of Missouri’s farmers and producers to get the job done,” Nixon said.
Both bills were delivered to Nixon last week and by law, he had 15 days to sign or veto the bills.
