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| MARCH 2006 |
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| “Grangers Organized To Vote (GOTV) 2006” Now Launched |
 The National Grange’s year long project, “Grangers Organized To Vote (GOTV) 2006” is now on the National Grange available. Visit http://www.nationalgrange.org/legislation/GOTV.htm
The website is designed to provide Grange members with vital voting information to help them get registered and ready to vote in 2006 – when local, state, and federal elections will be held including the entire U.S. House of Representatives, 33 U.S. Senate seats, 38 governors’ offices and numerous ballot initiatives. The “Rural Voters Matter” candidate issues guide for 2006 election will be added to the current information on the website this summer. The GOTV 2006 campaign also includes an email alert program in which Grange members can receive a reminder that includes specific voting information for their state elections.
On the GOTV 2006 website, each state’s election information, including how to register to vote and how to apply for an absentee ballot, can be found. It also provides the deadlines of state voter registration and federal voter registration information. In recent years, most states have made the voter registration form and the absentee ballot application available online with instructions on how to fill out and mail them. The GOTV website collects such downloadable forms and puts them altogether in a one-stop voting information center that will remain open up to the November elections.
The website says: “Since 1867, the Grange has been a strong advocating voice for rural communities and we hope to see Grangers organized to vote this year to keep their voices heard. Please go to vote and enjoy your democratic rights. Also, please help other Grange members as well as members of your community with voter registration and absentee voting by using the information this website provides.” 
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| Senate Pushing ESA Update Legislation |
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Senator Lincoln Chafee |
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Legislation to update and improve the Endangered Species Act could be considered by the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee as early as mid-March. After the House passed a comprehensive ESA reform bill (H.R. 3824 – Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005) last September, the Senate EPW Committee has been working very hard to craft a bill that they want to pass in the committee by the end of March and bring to the Senate floor.
Senate Wildlife Subcommittee Chairman Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), who has a key role in this effort, has recently received initial recommendations from an advisory group representing the nonprofit Keystone Center which he requested for a further study about critical habitats. Although reaching a consensus solution with regard to critical habitat designations has not been accomplished in the group, it is generally agreed that the current framework of the ESA is in need of repair to better address the biological needs of species, increase transaction efficiency, and reduce the concerns of regulated parties. The group’s suggestions included centralizing the role of recovery planning and boosting incentives for private conservation.
The National Grange recently sent an action alert to its members and urged them to ask their Senators to finalize updating the ESA. It says: “ The ESA has been a trouble to rural America for more than 30 years. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, only 10 (or less than 1%) of the roughly 1300 species listed have actually been recovered in the Act's 32-year history. However, the Act has violated the rights of individuals, particularly property rights and caused economic and social damage especially to farmers and ranchers.”
The Grange has long championed updating the ESA to make all ESA management decisions rely on sound science, give incentives to conservation participants, provide adequate compensation to landowners and to balance all decisions to list a species as endangered along the economic health of a community. It strongly supported H.R. 3824, largely drafted by House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA), which was in line with the Grange’s positions. Rep. Pombo recently said in an ESA conference: “Any efforts to modernize environmental laws draw a lot of motions. I know the ESA reform is still a very controversial issue but I think we are in a right direction.” |
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Grange Planning Eminent Domain Grassroots Campaign |
The National Grange is gearing up for a web-based grassroots educational program about eminent domain throughout the year. It will be a comprehensive issue package that brings together all separate information and action tools that the Grange is generating on eminent domain. The goal of the program will be to promote awareness among Grange members about eminent domain abuse by providing accurate and timely information and help them in making legislative actions.
On June 23, 2005, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling shocked the nation. The Court ruled that the City of New London, CT, had the authority to take small homes for a private development project even though homeowners did not want to sell. It allowed the city to use its powers of eminent domain to help private developers build apartments, a hotel and conference center by way of taking private property. Traditionally, eminent domain powers have been used only for public projects such as building public roads, utilities or parks. The U.S. Constitution also indicates that taking private property can happen only when it is for public use. “This decision is a threat to America’s traditional concept of private property rights,” said the National Grange President Bill Steel.
The Grange’s grassroots educational package will call attention to the potential harms of eminent domain abuse for farmlands as well as private homes. The ruling’s justification is that economic development and the broader tax base derived from private development eventually serves a public purpose. However, if eminent domain can be used based on revenue and taxes that an entity can generate, our farmlands will be one of the most vulnerable properties to takeover from private developers. This is one of the key reasons that the Grange opposes the Court’s decision.
The Grange’s campaign program will also include a how-to section providing sample communications that Grange members can use when they work with their lawmakers and local media. It will also contain a manual for a community service project to stop the abuse of eminent domain for local Grange members.
Last year, Grange members nationwide took a leadership position on this issue by sending resolutions opposing the Court’s ruling to the National Grange Convention in Columbus, Ohio. National Grange delegates responded to the wishes of the grassroots and adopted a resolution that strongly opposes the use of eminent domain for the purpose of private economic development. The Grange’s eminent domain education program will be a practical tool to move forward Grange advocacy for protecting private properties. All the program materials will appear soon on the National Grange website.
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| Grange Supports Keeping Rural Wireless Phone Service with E911 |
Enhanced 911 (E911) is a location technology mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that will allow mobile and cell phones to process 911 calls and enable emergency services to find the geographic position of the caller. The FCC’s E911 program consists of two phases. In 1998, Phase I required carriers, upon valid request by a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), to report the telephone number of a wireless 911 caller and the location of the antenna that received the call. In 2001, Phase II asked wireless carriers to provide far more precise location information. It required that all mobile phone companies must offer either handset- or network-based location detection capability so that the caller’s location is determined within 100-meter accuracy. The FCC regulation required that each company must have 95% of all their cell phone customers covered by E911 technology.
The National Grange strongly supports the goals of E911. However, it also has a concern that the strict enforcement of the December 31, 2005 for the 95 percent penetration of location-capable handsets would unnecessarily inconvenience customers who continue to use older handsets. It would further undermine rural public safety by preventing access to 911 if carriers were forced to drop rural subscribers who have older handsets. The Grange believes that if there is no prospect of public harm, cell phone companies should be given additional time to work with their customers and insure that their cell phone handsets are updated. In this perspective, the Grange has submitted a comment to the FCC in January to support requests for limited relief seeking an extension of the 95 percent handset penetration deadline through June 30, 2007. The Grange’s comments were covered by Communications Daily newspaper on February 1.
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| The First Two Months of Medicare Part D |
With over 24 million people signed up and the average premium dropping from the original estimate of 37 dollars to 25 dollars, Medicare Part D has had some success in the first two months. The National Grange, however, keeps sending its message to CMS to remain focused on creating a system that is easy to understand and easy to implement.
The Senate Committee on Aging held a hearing on February 2 nd outlining the challenges presently faced by Medicare in their implementation of the new Medicare Drug Benefit Plan (Part D). Some of the main issues confronting all those involved are: low income beneficiaries (dual eligibles) being denied drug coverage; call centers needing to improve call waiting time for both pharmacists and beneficiaries; rural pharmacies having difficulty receiving necessary information from drug plan providers; and beneficiaries being prevented from filling out their initial 30 day prescriptions that are not covered under their new plans.
The Committee also offered some suggestions in the form of legislation and general requests. One piece of legislation, supported by both Democrats and Republicans, that was mentioned during the hearing, was a bill to push back the final sign-up date from the original May 15 th deadline and also to allow for beneficiaries to switch plans at least once in the year after they had signed up with a plan. Another issue agreed upon by both sides was the importance of repaying pharmacies who were taking on costs due to some confusion in the confirmation of beneficiaries. Both of these topics directly affect rural America because many people living in small communities are still not receiving as much information about Part D as their urban counterparts and rural pharmacies are being hit hardest by failed reimbursements.
The National Grange recently joined the Medicare Access for Patients Rx (MAPRx) coalition to address the issue of the Part D program’s current messaging for beneficiaries who have chronic conditions and/or disabilities. It co-signed a letter requesting CMS to expand its communication strategy to include in its current messaging additional language to acknowledge the complexity of enrollment for people with special health care needs. In the letter, the suggested addition to CMS Part D enrollment outreach messaging is:
“If you have multiple health problems, it is very important that you carefully review the details of each plan available so you can enroll in the one that best serves your specialized prescription needs. If necessary, seek assistance to fully understand your options.”
The Grange’s position on Part D is clear in our Blueprint For Rural America 2006 when it states, “rural seniors are expecting that full implementation of the Medicare Part D program will provide a wide choice of affordable prescription drug benefits that meet their individual needs.” The National Grange will continue to keep an eye on the process of the Medicare Part D implementation through the work of Congressional hearings and coalitions, like MAPRx.
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| Grange Talks to the House Democratic Members of the Small Business Committee |
On February 15 th, the National Grange was invited to join the Democratic Members of the House Small Business Committee at a breakfast meeting in the Rayburn House Office Building to bring the Grange’s input to the dialogue between the committee and the small business community. Legislative Research Analyst of the National Grange, Chil-Sook Hwang spoke with Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (NY), Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee and explained that the Grange has supported some agenda that are important to small farm businesses and family farmers such as the Association Health Plans (AHPs), permanent elimination of death tax, and eminent domain for public use only. She also brought the National Grange “Blueprint for Rural America 2006” to the congresswoman’s attention. In a conversation with Rep. Velazquez’s agriculture staff, Ms. Hwang reassured that the Grange will fight throughout the year to protect small farm owners from any government’s eminent domain for private economic development.
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| National Grange Legislative Policy Book 2006 Available |
| The National Grange Legislative Department is pleased to announce that the Legislative Policies and Grassroots Training Manual 2006 (Legislative Policy Book 2006) is now available on the National Grange website at http://www.nationalgrange.org/legislation/policy/policy.htm. Hard copies are also available per request – please send a request form to National Grange Legislative Assistant Peter Banks via email at pbanks@nationalgrange.org or fax at 202-347-1091.
Download the individual request form
The Legislative Policy Book 2006 features over 1,000 National Grange official legislative policies, the National Grange Blueprint for Rural America 2006, Grassroots Training Manual – Action 2006 and information on valuable Grange legislative programs.
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| Pentagon Tour Added to Fly-In Schedule |
The 2006 Legislative Fly-In scheduled on May 22-23, in Washington, DC, will now feature a tour of the Pentagon. On May 22, Fly-In participants will take a one-hour Pentagon tour and also have lunch in a dining room at the building. The Fly-In is open to all interested Grange members and its agenda will include informative workshops, congressional visits, and effective networking opportunities with Grange political activists from across the nation. The Potomac Grange #1 Rural Leadership Project will continue to offer a scholarship providing a reimbursable grant towards food and lodging expenses for qualified participants. Any Grange member is eligible to apply.
Click here for complete 2006 Fly-In information
Click Here for Conference Registration Information (by 03/24/06) | Microsoft Word File
Click Here for Hotel Reservation Information (by 03/24/06) | Microsoft Word File
Click Here for Scholarship Application Information (by 03/10/06) | Microsoft Word File
Please mention National Grange and code NG0521 when you make your reservation at Club Quarters. For any inquiries on this event, please contact Peter Banks at (202) 628-3507 ext. 105 or
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| State Legislative Round Up |
 California State Grange
Legislative Director: Randall Lewis
“PFUSA Grange announces an upcoming conference focusing on eminent domain abuse and conservation easements. Titled "My Land, My Home, My Business!" the conference will feature Timothy Sandefur from Pacific Legal Foundation, Fred Kelly Grant from Stewards of the Range, and Russell Walker from Freedomworks. The conference will be held both Saturday, April 29th in Phoenix, Oregon and again Sunday, April 30th in Terrebonne, Oregon. For reservations, contact Kathy Bergeron at (530) 842-4400. For further information, contact Kathy Lehman at (541) 482-4096.”
Connecticut State Grange
Legislative Director: Gordon Gibson
“Senate Bill 34 and House Bill 5038 would both limit a town’s right to take property by eminent domain for economic development. Many legislators and lobbyists testified at the public hearing that these bills are good but do not go far enough to protect people’s rights to their homes. The Connecticut State Grange is concerned that, even with the protection in these bills, a town could take away by eminent domain any conservation, open space or farmland preservation easement held by a land trust or similar organization so the property owner could develop the property however he or she wanted to so long as the new construction would result in more taxes for the town. The National Grange is supporting the federal “Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005" which would prohibit any state or town from taking private property by eminent domain for economic development if they received any federal money for the project.”
Washington State Grange
Legislative Director: Toni McKinley
“ Senate Bill 6508 and its companion, House Bill 2738, if passed, would develop minimum renewable fuel content requirements and fuel quality standards in an alternative fuels market. Both bills have passed their respective houses and awaiting public hearings in the opposite house. These bills would provide grants and low-interest loans for research and development of new and renewable energy and biofuel. Both bills have separate amendments that they feel can be compromised and sent to the Governor for signature. The Washington State Grange’s concerns are mandates in general. We have never supported mandates and this bill requires them. The state will require 2 percent of the state’s diesel sales be biodiesel. This would go into effect by November 30, 2008. They would also require gasoline to have at least 2 percent ethanol by December 1, 2008.”
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| State Grange Legislative Days Coming Up |
| March 11th |
The Ohio State Grange Legislative Day will be held at Friendly Hills in Zanesville, Ohio. |
| March 16th |
The Colorado State Grange Legislative Workshop will be held at the State Capitol in Denver, CO. |
| March 23rd |
The Vermont State Grange Legislative Day will be held at the State Capitol in Montpelier, VT. |
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