The North Dakota House and Senate agriculture committees met for the first time for the new legislative session Thursday. One bill heard called for the removal of the red tape for farmers and ranchers applying for the state drought disaster water assistance program. North Dakota Stockmen’s Association Executive Director Julie Ellingson spoke in favor of the change, citing the latest Drought Monitor. “More than 67 percent of our state currently is D0 to D4 and so there’s lots of color on that map which we don’t like to see; I think that the timeliness of this is important.” The committee voted unanimously for a ‘to do’ pass recommendation for this bill. The ag committees meet Thursdays and Fridays in Bismarck.
