Lawmakers Pass Key Ag Transportation Bill

State lawmakers have given final approval to a Nebraska Farm Bureau backed bill (LB 931) to expand the existing overweight exemption for the transport of agricultural commodities. The bill now awaits final approval from the Gov. Under current law, farmers are allowed to exceed weight limits on loads by 15 percent when hauling seasonally harvested crops from the field to storage, market, or stockpile, or from stockpile to market, if travel is within 70 miles and the owner of the commodity provides the driver of the load with a signed statement of origin and destination. LB 931 expands the overweight exemption to apply to the transportation of seasonally harvested commodities in transport from “farm storage” to market. The Legislature’s Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings, introduced the bill on behalf of Nebraska Farm Bureau. Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango prioritized the bill. The idea was originally suggested by members of Adams County Farm Bureau.