Lawmakers pass bills on farm transportation
During the ongoing session on business and jobs, legislators have passed new state laws that affect some agricultural activities especially in regard to transportation. One of those, Assembly Bill 248, aims to make it easier for farmers and their suppliers to haul large loads of hay needed for livestock in the state.
The measure, introduced by Reps. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon), Keith Ripp (R-Lodi) and Richard Spanbauer (R-Oshkosh), along with Senate sponsors Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) and Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), got unanimous support in the Assembly's Transportation Committee in September and passed the full Assembly on Oct. 20.
A few days later, the measure sailed through the Senate on a 33-0 vote.
The bill relates to the hauling of overweight loads of hay or straw.
Under state law now, there are certain statutory size limits and weight limits on vehicles, unless the operators of those vehicles get a permit from the Department of Transportation (DOT) or a local authority, if that is applicable. These statutes generally limit the height of these kinds of loads to 13.5 feet.
This bill, which has been sent to Gov. Scott Walker for his consideration, allows the DOT to issue annual permits or permits for consecutive months for trucks or vehicle combinations transporting loads of hay or straw that exceed the statutory height limit of 13.5 feet. Under the measure, the permits issued by the department would designate routes to be used by the trucks. If that route involves highways that are not state trunk highways, the permit application would need to be accompanied by a written statement of route approval by the officer in charge of maintenance of the local highway.
Under the measure, the DOT could issue these permits regardless of whether or not the load that is being moved is divisible. Agricultural lobbyists said the bill was designed to allow another layer per load of large square bales to be hauled and to allow Wisconsin farmers and haulers to be competitive with other states, where larger loads are allowed. It would allow four layers of the large bales, instead of three.
Another bill was similar. Assembly Bill 254 would amend state transportation statutes to allow longer vehicles to be operated on state highways without an overlength permit. Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may operate on a highway any single vehicle with an overall length in excess of 40 feet or any combination of two vehicles with an overall length in excess of 65 feet, unless the person has a permit to exceed these lengths.
This bill increases, from 40 feet to 45 feet, the maximum overall length of a single vehicle that may be operated on a highway without an overlength permit. It was introduced by Representatives Petrowski, Ripp and Spanbauer, who worked on the hay and straw bill, as well as Reps. Mike Endsley (R-Sheboygan), Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan), Ed Brooks (R-Reedsburg), Jeff Mursau (R-Crivitz) and Al Ott (R-Forest Junction). It was co-sponsored by Senators Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), Galloway, Frank Lasee (R-De Pere) and Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point.)
The overlength truck bill passed the Assembly on Oct. 20 and the Senate a few days later. Both were done on voice votes.
Another bill that has ramifications for transportation, especially to and from farms, is Assembly Bill 252, which extends for one month the amount of time in the fall during which agricultural crops can exceed road limits. Current law allows certain vehicles or combinations of vehicles that are transporting farm crops to exceed road weight limits from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 of each year.
This bill extends the annual end date for this exception from the end of November to the end of December. It was sponsored by many of the same lawmakers who sponsored the hay and straw bill and the overlength vehicle bill.
The package of bills that has gotten support from lawmakers is part of an effort by the Walker administration's Department of Transportation to make the state more "freight friendly" as a way to spur economic activity.
Some other bills have been introduced that would allow larger loads to be placed on state trucks, but some of them would have to be modified to comply. It would allow trucks to add axles to be allowed to haul heavier weights. The measures are tweaking the process to allow for better and more efficient transportation in ways that don't cost the state money.
One bill that is under consideration is Assembly Bill 305 that is designed to allow businesses and truckers to fill sealed storage containers for the international market all the way. Because of current transportation restrictions, such cargo containers can't be filled full. Instead, products like corn and distillers grains are trucked to Illinois where the sales are consummated through brokers there and the containers are filled and sealed.
Paul Zimmerman, a lobbyist with Wisconsin Farm Bureau, said his organization is most excited about this measure for the effect it could have on agricultural commodities. He explained that once containers are loaded for international trade, they are sealed and can't be opened again until their reach their international destination. Because of Wisconsin regulations, containers filled by businesses here cannot be filled to capacity, making the transportation less efficient.
It also means, he said, that the shipping doesn't go out of Milwaukee or Superior or even Wisconsin ports on the Mississippi River, but goes elsewhere for export.
Zimmerman said the measure could impact not only grain and distillers products, but also things like whey powder. He said he was "very confident" this legislation would pass and become law. "We need to find all the ways we can to be a reliable, consistent supplier to the world market," he told Wisconsin State Farmer.
This bill allows the DOT to issue overweight permits for trucks with six or more axles transporting the sealed loads. The bill doesn't allow any vehicle to be operated on state roads at a maximum gross weight in excess of 90,000 pounds.
Sponsors included Representatives Petrowski, Endsley, Ott and Ripp, as well as Reps. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City), Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) and Jeff Stone (R-Greendale). Senate sponsors for the bill are Lazich and Galloway.
