01/09/06 Legislature convenes

Washington Ag January 9, 2006 The 2006 Session of the Washington State Legislature convenes today. One item of interest to agriculture will be efforts to give producers a break from high fuel costs by removing the tax on off-road diesel. State Representative Bill Grant, Democrat of Walla Walla pre-filed a bill to do just that in the House. A bill was also pre-filed in the Senate by Republican Joyce Mulliken of Moses Lake. Fellow Ritzville Republican Senator Mark Shoesler is a co-sponsor. Schoesler: "Government has profited from the run up in fuel prices. Producers don't mind paying their fair share of taxes but I don't think government should have a windfall at the hands of producers' misfortune." Currently the tax on dyed or off-road diesel is applied as a percentage as opposed to the regular gas tax that is a flat rate per gallon. Alternative energy like biofuels are expected to get lots of attention by lawmakers. Governor Christine Gregoire has proposed incentives for biofuel facilities. In a development on the biofuels front, Wi BioFuels, part of a Phoenix based company is proposing to build an oilseed crushing and biodiesel plant at the Port of Wilma in Whitman County. Company executive Bruce Nave met with farmers in Colfax last week. The proposed facility would process as much as 15 million gallons of biodiesel annually. Farmers would be paid 15 cents a pound for the canola used to produce the biodiesel. I'm Bob Hoff.