ST. PAUL, MN – Last week, Representative Rick Hansen (DFL-South Saint Paul) introduced and passed a bi-partisan resolution at the Midwestern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments (MLC / CSG) to increase funding and better coordination for animal and plant disease research. The resolution, presented to a group of Midwestern states and provincial legislators meeting in Bismarck, North Dakota, passed unanimously.
“Animal and plant diseases are effecting our economy and state budgets,” said Rep. Hansen. “In the Midwest 48 million birds were destroyed over just four months to contain the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak. We need to work together across borders and barriers to prevent and prepare for outbreaks and diseases.”
State, local, and federal governments have and will spend millions to respond to major animal and plant diseases. In 2014 Midwestern pork farmers faced heavy losses with the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and the poultry farmers are currently dealing with HPAI. Other regions of the country are dealing citrus greening and other diseases.
“It is important that legislators from across the Midwest and from different political parties can come together and recognize the need for more research for animal and plant diseases,” said Rep. Hansen. “Quality research improves our ability to deal with diseases we know, it also better prepares us for risks that we don’t know are on the horizon.”
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