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Wisconsin continues to seek animal program funding solution

Wisconsin’s Ag Secretary says he’s optimistic that a funding solution can be found to support animal health and inspection programs under rules ATCP-10 and ATCP-12.

Ag Secretary Randy Romanski tells Brownfield with the proposed fees scaled back to existing levels plus 18 years of adjustment for inflation, it still looks like a large fee increase but that’s not always the case. “Let me put that into context. The proposed increase to the fees that we’re talking about range anywhere from a little less than a dollar to up to about $200 increase from what they are currently paying.”

Romanski says DATCP has heard from industry stakeholders including farmers, truckers, and sales barns that an inflationary adjustment is the right approach, but it doesn’t solve the million-dollar plus deficit. “At the end of the day, we have to find a way to have the resources to pay for these programs and these services. With the fees reduced, now we need to see if there’s some general purpose revenue or other funding source to fully fund the program.”

Romanski tells Brownfield he’s already been approached by lawmakers and had some productive conversations about a one-time funding amount to cover the program’s deficit and ongoing amounts to place in the state budget to keep the animal health and inspection services operating.  He says the administrative rule process gives his agency the ability to adjust program fees but does not allow the department to request general purpose revenue.

Romanski says like any other proposed rule, this new proposal will go through the DATCP Board and through the public comment process before being finalized. 

The first proposal would have increased fees on livestock dealers, truckers, sales barns, and others as much as 17-hundred percent but was met with over 500 public comments opposing the change.

AUDIO: Wisconsin’s Ag Secretary Randy Romanski discusses the latest animal health fees with Brownfield’s Larry Lee