Indiana Farm Bureau maps legislative priorities

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Farm Bureau’s priorities for the 2023 Indiana General Assembly will focus on four general topic areas: rural viability, energy policy, taxes and food security.

These topics were discussed with lawmakers at INFB’s annual legislative forum. The priorities were determined by the INFB board of directors following the August delegate session.

2023 Legislative Priorities

Rural Viability: Finding ways to keep rural communities prospering even as more people migrate to suburban and urban centers.

INFB will focus on working with members in rural communities to help find solutions to many of the challenges facing rural Indiana, such as lack of or insufficient broadband internet access and the need for increased workforce development and improved rural public health.

Energy Policy: Working to find an all-of-the-above energy and climate strategy for Indiana in terms of carbon markets, electric generation and liquid transportation fuels.

With the growth in electric vehicles, farmers also need to make sure liquid transportation fuels are part of the conversation.

As part of the overall decarbonization and climate discussions that have a lot of impact on the overall energy conversation, INFB also plans to discuss the evolution of carbon markets.

It will continue to be important to find ways for all farmers adopting conservation and innovative farming practices to participate in carbon markets.

Tax Policy: Finding tax policies that are fair and equitable for all INFB members.

Currently, INFB has a lot of the focus on the federal tax policy, such as protecting the step-up in basis, capital gains and estate tax exemptions.

At a state and local level, INFB will work to find solutions for the continued funding of rural schools, fire protection and other safety issues that are important to our members.

Food Security: Making sure farmers can continue to farm despite factors such as urban and suburban sprawl and regulation.

Agriculture faces pressures from several directions from continuous urban and suburban sprawl to federal rules on greenhouse gas emissions reporting. These jeopardize members’ ability to farm and produce food for the world.