The Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee has decided to postpone their decision on SB 183, which would transfer the Division of Forestry and its authorities, powers and duties from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Agriculture.
Crescent Gallagher, communications director for the Department of Agriculture, said the department “has been in preparation” for the change.
Division of Forestry worker Charlie Spencer said he is still concerned as to whether or not employees will be treated in the same way under a different department, especially due to the nature of forestry jobs.
Since many workers sometimes have to wake people up at night to ask about a nearby fire, among other issues, Spencer said he and his workers receive many complaints.
He said he worries about how those complaints will be handled or processed under new authority.
“We do things that most agencies do not,” Spencer said. “My biggest concern is not getting fired for doing my job.”
Members assured him that they believed his position would not be compromised due to a complaint, but they still agreed to look further into the provisions of the bill.
The committee also considered two other bills, SB 283 and SB 531.
SB 283 was assigned to a subcommittee consisting of Senators Patricia Rucker (R – Jefferson), Charles Clements (R – Wetzel) and Ronald Miller (D – Greenbrier) for review.
The bill would create The Food Production Act, which would make the Department of Agriculture responsible for all food production within the state.
It also has a double reference to the Senate Judiciary Committee once reported to the floor.
SB 531 would permit the annual renewal date for apiary certificates of registration to be June 30 beginning in 2018. It has a double reference to Senate Government Organization.
The committee voted in favor of amending the bill to change the renewal date to March 31, instead of June 30.
A committee substitute is being created with the amended change.
The bill has a double reference to the Senate Committee on Government Organization once reported to the floor.
