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Sen.
Roger Madigan's Floor Remarks on ACRE
Mr.
President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support
House Bill 1646, a measure that would protect farmers
against illegal and discriminatory local ordinances and
would enlist the assistance of the Pennsylvania Attorney
General to ensure that farmers are not forced out of
business because of those illegal ordinances.
When a
Township passes an ordinance specifically designed to hamper
farm operations; An ordinance that they have no power under
state law to enforce, it represents a serious threat to our state's number one
industry. This bill seeks to prevent that injustice from continuing
unchecked.
Further
it is important to clarify that the bill does not interfere
with the current environmental laws that govern farmers, nor
would it change existing ordinances and zoning laws.
Farmers will have to continue to operate in environmentally
sound ways, and legal ordinances that are on the books will
not have to be altered.
In
short, this measure is fair for farmers without placing new
restrictions on local governments.
Because
it strikes such a good balance, House Bill 1646 has earned
the support of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Grange, and
other major farming organizations in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, this legislation is not opposed by any major
association representing municipal concerns.
I would
like to thank the agriculture community, in particular, for
their hard work on this legislation, and my colleagues on
the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for working
quickly to move this bill to the Senate for consideration.
Mr.
President, House Bill 1646 represents yet another step we
can take to build a stronger economy, enable individual
farmers to make a living and remain competitive – and even
protect open space from development, because unfair
ordinances push farmers out of business and put their land
into developers' hands.
For all
these reasons, I urge a "yes" vote on House Bill 1646.
Thank you.
Sen. Waugh News Release
Sen. Jubelirer's Remarks
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