(Missourinet) – A longtime state lawmaker who serves on a Missouri legislative committee examining Missouri Department of Agriculture funding levels says some department divisions need fee increases, while others don’t.
Martinsburg GOP State Representative Jay Houghton serves on the Joint Committee on Review of the Plant Industries Division.
MDA officials have provided the committee with an immediate and long-term funding needs assessment. Missouri’s pesticide registration fees have remained the same since 2010, and fees for greenhouses haven’t been adjusted since 1992. Martinsburg State Representative Jay Houghton says some fees imposed by the Missouri Department of Agriculture need to be increased and spoke to Missourinet after this week’s committee hearing in Jefferson City.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture Director testified this week the agency has identified a target of one-point-four million dollars in additional revenue to meet immediate ongoing needs. The committee will submit recommendations by the end of November.
