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The MWFPA News Bulletin is underwritten in part by Bug Blocker Doors & Screens
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New Congress Convenes, Still No Word On USDA Secretary
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 Both the House and Senate returned to Washington this week to begin the first session of the 115th Congress.
Paul Ryan (R-WI) easily won election to his first full term as House speaker, demonstrating he has quieted past conservative discontent that led to the ouster of his predecessor, John Boehner. Ryan won 239-189, and suffered just one Republican defection when Rep. Tom Massie, R-Ky., voted for Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla.
Ryan will lead the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and reform the tax code, two big agenda items Republicans have been hoping to advance for years. Ryan, a former chairman of both the House Budget and Ways and Means Committees, has authored budgets that both repeal Obamacare and reform the tax system.
Committee assignments will be announced this week. The Senate started its session at noon on Tuesday and is expected to take up a budget reconciliation bill in the near future that will start the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act. The Senate also will begin the process of holding nomination hearings for the incoming Trump Administration cabinet officers.
No official announcement has been made by President-elect Trump regarding who will lead his agriculture department at the time of writing this article. But the press is widely reporting that Sonny Perdue, a former Georgia Governor, will get the nod in the very near future.
Trump and his aides have interviewed several others, including former Texas A&M University President Elsa Murano, former Texas Representative Henry Bonilla, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, former California Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado, Idaho Governor Butch Otter, and Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, a Democrat.
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USDA Revises Guidance on Data Labeling
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The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued updated information on food product labeling, including new guidance aimed at reducing food waste through encouraging food manufacturers and retailers that apply product dating to use a "Best if Used By" date label. Read more here.
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WI DOT Head Gottlieb Resigns, Ross Named to Succeed Him
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The WI secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services, David Ross, has been named Secretary of the WI Department of Transportation.
WI Gov. Scott Walker said that Ross will move to transportation on Jan. 7 from his current position in safety and professional services. Mark Gottlieb, outgoing transportation secretary, offered his resignation to Walker taking effect Jan. 6. He leaves as the state is in the midst of trying to find a long-term transportation funding solution.
The transportation department is one of the largest state agencies, with 3,500 employees and an annual budget of more than $3.5 billion. The department supports state highways, local roads, railroads, public transit systems, airports, harbors and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The department also serves 50,000 people each day through the Division of Motor Vehicles and includes the Division of State Patrol which enforces laws and aids motorists throughout the state.
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WI Senate Majority Leader Announces Committee Membership, High Cap Wells On Senate Agenda
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This week, WI State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced the chairpersons and Republican membership of Senate standing committees.
Of interest to the food products industry was the reappointment of Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls) as head of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Small Business, and Tourism, a post he's held since 2013.
Other GOP members of the Senate Ag Committee include Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst), Vice-Chair; Sheila Harsdorf, (R-River Falls); Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon); and Senator-elect Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point). In the Assembly, Westby Republican Lee Nerison was reappointed chairman of the Ag Committee.
The new Legislative session begins January 3rd. The Assembly does not plan to hold any floor session during the month of January, though the Senate does plan on meeting.
The governor will roll-out his budget in late January/early February, kicking off the process in the legislature. As with other recent budgets, among the major items of focus this year will be transportation infrastructure funding.
Of special import to food processors was Sen. Fitzgerald's stated desire to quickly bring back the high capacity well bill. During the upcoming legislative session lawmakers also plan to tackle initiatives focused on improved workforce training.
The two-year session is scheduled to adjourn in May of 2018.
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Consumers More Educated, But Concerned, About GMOs
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 Consumers are more educated about the benefits of bioengineered ingredients in food production, but many remain concerned about them, according to new research from The NPD Group.
Just over a third of Americans have little or no awareness of genetically modified organisms, down from more than half in 2013. While more recognize the role of GMOs in producing better and more resilient crops, bioengineered ingredients have become the fastest growing food additive concern as consumers increasingly prefer foods perceived as authentic and real, NPD said.
News coverage and social media may be fueling these fears, but food and beverage manufacturers have the opportunity to educate consumers about the benefits of GMOs, said Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst for the NPD Group.
Read more from
FoodBusinessNews.
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Daudt Reveals MN House Committee Assignments
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 MN House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) announced committee
The food products industry was pleased to see the reappointment of District 22B Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, as chairman of the Minnesota House Agriculture Finance Committee.
The Ag Finance Committee oversees and funds all state agriculture programs, including the budget of the Department of Agriculture. Hamilton was recently elected to his seventh term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He previously served as chairman of the Minnesota House Ag Finance Committee in 2011-2012, and in 2015-2016.
State Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, will remain chairman of the House Agriculture Policy Committee. Anderson was elected to a fifth House term and has served on agriculture committees throughout his time in office.
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MN Legislature Convenes, Elects Leadership, Budget, Worker Shortage & Taxes On The Agenda
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MN lawmakers returned to the freshly renovated state Capitol to begin the 2017 legislative session. Passing a two-year budget is the biggest task facing the lawmakers.
While a surplus exists this biennium, Gov. Dayton and the Republican controlled legislature will have to work at finding common ground on a 2018-19 biennial budget (among other issues) to avoid a repeat of 2011-2012. The gridlock at that time culminated in a 20 day government shutdown.
State Senator Michelle Fischbach of Paynseville was elected president of the Senate for the 2017 legislative session. She was elected to the post on a 34-31 vote in the Senate, which is now under Republican control.
State Senator Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa was elected Senate majority leader. Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center) will chair the Finance Committee and Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes) will chair the Tax Committee. Senator Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook), the current Senate Majority Leader, was elected by Senate DFLers to be the new Minority Leader.
Rep. Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, was chosen to remain as House Speaker. Rep. Ron Kresha was named House Majority Whip. House DFLers elected Representative Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) as their new Minority Leader, replacing Representative Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis) who opted not to run again.
MN is currently confronting a shortage of qualified workers. The biggest workforce issue facing this legislative session is local preemption on topics such as mandatory paid leave. MWFPA will follow this matter closely.
There will be plenty of work for the House and Senate Tax Committees this session, starting with reconsidering many of the provisions contained in the 2015 and 2016 Omnibus Tax Bills that have not been enacted. For example, the 2016 Omnibus Tax Bill contains a provision reducing commercial and industrial property taxes paid to the state by exempting the first $100,000 of property value.
Many expect the Tax Committees will also consider other business related tax issues as well. MN's business community has advocated for reduction in the corporate income tax, as Minnesota has the third highest corporate income tax rate in the nation and leaders from both sides have identified this issue as a priority.
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IL Legislature Set For Lame Duck Session, Budget Impasse Remains
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IL legislators head back to Springfield on January 9-10 for two days of "Lame Duck" session where the 99th General Assembly will have two days to clean up any action before the new 100th General Assembly is sworn in on January 11th.
The year 2017 starts off as 2016 ended with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly at odds over the budget and the governor's agenda.
A stopgap spending plan that's been funding most state operations since July ended midnight on New Year's, plunging public universities, community colleges, social service providers and others who depend on the state back into fiscal uncertainty.
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Apply Now for MWFPA, Carleton Friday & Kenneth Weckel Scholarships
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 Applications for the MWFPA and Friday/Weckel Scholarships are now available.
The MWFPA Scholarship may award up to $2,000 (depending on availability of funds) in scholarship money to deserving children of parents or guardians who are employees of MWFPA member companies. They must also be a high school senior or post-secondary student accepted into, or attending, any post-secondary school in the United States.
Last year eighteen $1,000 scholarships were awarded under the program. MWFPA Scholarship applications will be accepted until March 3, 2017. The scholarships will be awarded in April, 2016.
Undergraduate students attending, or planning to attend, UW Madison, Platteville or River Falls are eligible for Friday/Weckel scholarships. Applications are due by April 28, 2017. Last year six scholarships were awarded totaling $9,000.
Information and applications can be downloaded from the MWFPA
website, or by contacting Brian Elliott at:
brian.elliott@mwfpa.org, or by calling 608-255-9946.
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MWFPA Offers Exclusive Property & Casualty Insurance Program For Members
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 The Midwest Food Processors Association is pleased to announce that
MWFPA members now have access to an exclusive insurance program that is written specifically for our industry. With assistance from the risk management firm Hays Companies, this program offers a customized Property and Casualty insurance program.
The program offers a complete insurance program for all business types, from processor to manufacturers, logistics to wholesaler and anything in between. No market segment is excluded, and no organization is too large or too small.
Learn more about what the MWFPA Insurance Program can do for you by visiting the program's website:
https://mwfpa.haysprograms.com/.
Our main contact for the program is Brad Van Swol and he can be reached via:
Phone: (414) 290-3581
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MWFPA Events You Won't Want To Miss
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February 14, 2017:
Achieve Results Through Leadership, Wisconsin Dells, WI
March 1, 2017:
Resolve Employee Conflict
, Wisconsin Dells, WI
May 31 - June 1, 2017:
MWFPA Spring Summit & Scramble.Trappers Turn Golf Course, Wisconsin Dells, WI
October 5, 2017:
MWFPA Sporting Clay Challenge. Milford Hills Hunt Club,
Johnson Creek, WI.
November 28 - 30, 2017:
MWFPA 113th Annual Convention and 90th Processing Crops Conference. Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN.
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Other Educational Opportunities
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February 13-17, 2017:
Industrial Refrigeration Workshop. Crowne Plaza Charlotte Executive Park Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. This one-week course is intended for those who make decisions such as the purchase of new components, and the enlargement or modification of the plant. Manufacturers of components learn how their products fit into the entire system. For more information, click here.
March 1-3, 2017: Introduction to Ammonia Refrigeration Systems. Pyle Center, 702 Langdon Street, Madison, WI. This course is designed to establish a foundational understanding of ammonia refrigeration systems, components, and best practices that you can use immediately. For more inforamation, click
here.
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