Senators Collins, King Oppose Harmful House Provision in Final Farm Bill

Washington, D.C. – In advance of Farm Bill conference committee negotiations, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) joined a group of 32 Senators in sending a bipartisan letter to Senate Agriculture Committee leaders urging them to reject an amendment that was included in the House Farm Bill.  The amendment, offered by Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa), would require state and local governments to accept products from other states even if those products violate standards and regulations enacted in the importing state.

“The Rep. King amendment, also known as the ‘Protect Interstate Commerce Act’ would drastically broaden the scope of federal preemption of state and local agriculture laws,” wrote the Senators.  “These state and local laws were enacted to address concerns relating to the protection of consumers, farmers, workers, the environment, and more.”

“We want to thank you for not including this provision in the Senate bill, and strongly encourage you to reject this provision in any form in the final conference report,” the Senators continued.

For instance, there are a number of state laws in Maine that could be undermined through this legislation including on crate bans for livestock, consumer protections for blueberry inspections, and environmental safeguards for cranberry cultivation.

Click HERE to read the letter.