• Support the concept of working together through a marketing system, which is cooperative in nature, fair in application and open to farmer input in operation.

• Call for development and implementation of national legislation prohibiting unreasonable conduct, such as unjustifiable price discrimination, by a business that is in a dominating position in contracting, supplying or buying agricultural goods or services. 

• MFU requests congressional investigation and corrective action under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 be taken to examine the concentration of power that has allowed a few corporations to control the market and price of various commodities. If large concentrations of power still remain, necessary legislation should be enacted to regulate those corporations just as we do other monopolistic entities.

• Support the continued use and adequate funding for the Montana State Grain Lab.

• Support legislation requiring end-use certificates for imported grain and meats.

• Support production agriculture programs versus Export Enhancement Program (EEP).

• Montana Farmers Union endorses legislation such as the NAFTA Accountability Act, which prevents the United States from expanding NAFTA or entering into additional free trade agreements until the problems caused by NAFTA are addressed.

• Urge MFU to work toward expanding the opportunities in both the number of crops exported and the value returned to our member producers from trade with Cuba and other potential trade countries.

• Reinstate thorough meat inspection procedures for imports, discouraging random inspection and the stamping of SDA on uninspected meats, particularly on the Canadian and Mexican borders.

•  Support continuation of the State Meat Inspection Program.

• Urge labeling of all meats including ground and "shaved" meats imported into United States.

• We urge mandatory Country of Origin labeling of all agricultural commodities and processed food products sold in the U.S.

• Support the full funding of the Conservation Security Program and adding continued enrollment for producers who did not qualify during the initial signup period. 

• Request a broad-based agricultural conservation practice and development program in the State of Montana, which includes the following:

• Appropriate federal funding through appropriation and cost-share programs.

• Development of conservation dams incorporating flood control and domestic, municipal, agricultural and recreational uses.

Cooperative Policy

• Cooperation is a guidepost of the Farmers Union, sharing the organization's triangle with education and legislation.

• Support patron-owned, democratically controlled cooperatives, built on the principle of one person, one vote, with distribution of savings in direct proportion to patronage.

• Cooperative endeavor is a legitimate and logical extension enabling farmers to take their operations into the marketplace and allowing individual producers to realize the benefits generated by their production through the sale, processing and ultimate purchase by the consumer. 

• Because cooperatives are our business, it is imperative that Farmers Union members actively support and participate in their local and regional cooperatives.

• Support efforts and services keyed to cooperative principles which are provided by CHS, Farmers Union Industries, Farmers Union Insurance, Rural Electric Cooperatives, Rural Telephone Associations, Farm Credit Services, Credit Unions, Bank for Cooperatives, Council of Cooperatives, irrigation districts, grazing districts and other cooperatives in the state.

• Educate the general public as to the important role of cooperatives in economic systems.

•  Establish and continue a positive and aggressive approach to cooperative education, and philosophy for Farmers Union members.

•  Emphasize the need to select cooperative directors who understand and are loyal to the ideas of cooperative business principles.

• Education is the cornerstone of our democracy.  It has long been regarded as a national ethic, preceding the establishment of our country as an independent nation.

• Support equitable, quality, inclusive education for all levels because this benefits not only individuals, but our state as well.  An educated citizenry is a social protection and an unparalleled economic advantage.  We regard education as a public utility, not a fringe benefit.

• Promote education in cooperative philosophy and practical cooperative business operations in our public schools both locally and with the State Department of Education.

• Support adequate funding for Agriculture in Montana Schools program.

• Continue to work for equity in access and quality of educational opportunity for rural areas.

• Urge adequate funding for vocational-technical education.

• Commend and support post‑secondary efforts such as WAMI (a consortium made up of the states of Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) and WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education), both of which offer educational opportunities, particularly in professional programs, not available in Montana.

• Urge higher priority and greater financial support for education on the state and national level.

PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS

Energy

• Support a broadly based energy policy, which incorporate the following points.

• Oppose the privatization of the Federal Power Administration and the government-owned transmission and power generation facilities at federal dams.

• Support a federal program to reduce our dependence on petroleum and nuclear energy through the development of alternative sources such as ethanol, solar, wind and coal energy technologies among others to provide affordable energy.

• Urge the use of ethanol and biobased fuels as transportation fuels and promote the establishment and construction of production facilities.

• Support efforts to promote the establishment and construction of ethanol plants.

• We encourage electric co-ops throughout the nation, to build and acquire the generating and transmission resources necessary to ensure the same balance of cost-based power.

• Support study of the feasibility of purchasing the hydroelectric dams, related lands and water rights. This would return control of these resources to Montana Citizens. Electric rates based on the cost of production will benefit all Montana consumers.

 Land Use

• Request that trespassers be held liable for any damage done to private property along public access streams.

• Oppose any changes in the management of state school lands that would permit public recreation on these lands without the permission of the renter.

• Support state-of-the-art reclamation of all strip‑mined lands.

• Urge the State of Montana and all other governmental agencies to adopt measures, which require the least possible interference with agricultural production during extraction of minerals.

• Oppose any agency or individual entering into a mineral lease or granting a permit for the extraction of minerals without the consent of the land surface owner, with just compensation to the agricultural operation.

• Support mining of Montana coal, with proper regulations.

• Mineral estate has dominance over surface owners by law.  Surface owners should be compensated for damages to property.  Annual rentals should be paid for well sites, easements and other facilities that are brought in and used by the industry.

Environment

• Support feasible air, water, and land use standards to prevent degradation of our environment and quality of life for present and future generations.

• Support establishing numeric standards for coal bed methane production, as contained in the  irrigators petition currently pending for decision before the board of environmental review. We believe establishing numeric standards puts a safeguard in place for moving ahead with Coal Bed Methane Production. These standards should also adequately protect our water, soils, and crops. However, such standards should not be so stringent as to prohibit treating of the water to standards acceptable to irrigation. Support establishing an oversight committee comprised of surface owners, industry, leaders, environmental groups, agricultural leaders, and appropriate state and federal agencies. This committee would approve all mitigation and best management practices for the gas extraction.

• We support an adequate review, prior to the start of each coal bed methane development, to identify and propose mitigation measures to ensure that the proposal will not:

1)   Cause qualitative or quantitative problems to off-site water resources

2)   Alter vegetative characteristics

3)   Cause subsidence; or

4)   Negatively affect the land in other ways.

Coal bed methane development involves draining large amounts of water from underground aquifers into surface water, which could lower water quality.

• Request that the Greenhouse Effect be considered a reasonable threat, which demands monitoring and continued research.

• Support immediate development of safe methods of disposal of nuclear waste in the state of origin.

• Request that educational programs be conducted and corrective measures taken to control saline seep.

• Support first priority for water used in domestic, municipal and agricultural consumption.

• Urge feasible legislation and educational programs, which will assist in protecting ground water from pollution and depletion beyond natural recharge.

• Support out-of-state garbage bans to give the state time to properly regulate large-scale landfills.

• Encourage the study of the Weather Modification, which means changing or controlling, or attempting to control, by artificial methods, the natural development of atmospheric cloud forms that occur in the troposphere. Three types of weather modification are: rainfall augmentation, hail suppression, and snow pack augmentation. Support the proof of financial responsibility to be demonstrated by a prepaid insurance policy or corporate surety bond in the amount not to exceed the cost of the proposed weather project times two. Each region has a choice to participate in a weather modification program. Weather modification projects should not be required to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) in keeping with other state and Canadian provincial law.

• Oppose the disposal of hazardous waste by mixing it with fertilizer, fuel and other farm products, which is unacceptable and a dangerous practice that threatens the environment and human health.

• MFU should be instrumental in bringing together agriculture organizations, environmental and industry groups to examine the latest national fertilizer standards and their relevance to Montana.

Natural Resources / Wildlife

• Support a broad water‑ development policy, which insures multiple uses, recognizing the primacy of the needs of agriculture.

• Support state's right to adjudicate all waters within its borders.

• Support State Water Court adjudication of all state water disputes, including all federal, state and private permits and/or reservations.

• Oppose the levying of any additional fees on any water rights that the claimants have already paid an assessment for water rights adjudication.

• Oppose legislation, administrative rules, and reservation processes that give control of our waterways to the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Corps of Engineers or the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Urge support of wildlife management to maintain a brucellosis-free state.

• Oppose the concept of the public trust doctrine including the "Big Open" concept and the resulting confiscation of private property rights.

• Support adjustments in Federal and State grazing fees according to quality of grazing units.

• Support private property rights.

• Support land leasees rights.

• Oppose unwarranted restrictions on use of herbicides and pesticides on agriculture production.

• Urge a portion of big game hunting and fishing license fees be earmarked for county road maintenance.

• Oppose legislation, which allows federal reservation of wilderness water rights.

• Oppose removal of dams on the Snake and Columbia River systems.

• Oppose amendments to the Clean Water Act that pertain to non-point source pollution, which adversely affects agriculture.

• Recognize that a degradation of water occurs through natural means and request that such degradation be taken into consideration when monitoring for non-point source pollution.

• Urge a water development program to include the construction and rehabilitation of multiple use water storage facilities and delivery systems.

• Support the Montana Water Rights Compact Commission, to continue and expedite the adjudication of all federal water rights and all water rights held in trust for the Indian tribes by compact. Encourage the Montana legislature to provide sufficient funding to bring this to a conclusion.

• Support a joint effort between the State of Montana and federal lending agencies to supply long-term low interest loans for agricultural development of water that has been reserved for agricultural purposes and irrigation and encourage the agricultural interests to take advantage of this and develop the water that has been reserved, before losing it to downstream states.

• Seek expanded technical assistance for landowners of small timber tracts.

• Call for state license and bonding of all log and timber scalars.

• Urge that timber and log purchases and sales be based on total cubic content.

• Recommend that control of National Forests should remain with the United States Department of Agriculture.

• Urge that State and Federal Forest Services expand their small sales program to make timber available and provide continual employment for small independent operations.

• Strongly urge grazing and grooming in forest management. We abhor cruel and wasteful  let it burn policies, which also produce tremendous volumes of greenhouse gases.

• Favor limited protection for the grizzly bear, and wolves but urge recognition of life and property rights of individuals.

• Urge the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies to make 1080 available for coyote and Columbia ground squirrel control.

• Oppose the ban of strychnine use to control rabid skunk populations and burrowing rodents.

• Oppose any legislation banning aerial hunting, steel traps, M44's and other approved methods for control of wildlife-incurred damage.

• Oppose placing the prairie dog on the endangered species list. Urge provisions for working with the landowner on habitat restoration, which benefits both the landowner and the endangered species.

• Oppose taking coyote and fox off the predator list through reclassification as furbearers.

• Recommend that the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks assume some responsibility for damage by wildlife, and that farmers and ranchers be compensated for excessive damage.

• Urge that the Endangered Species Act be rewritten in a form sufficient to prevent its misapplication to objectives other than original intent.

Public Utilities

• Urge continued support of policies granting preference to publicly owned power systems and rural electric cooperatives.

• Support wholeheartedly the financing and continuation of our Rural Electric Cooperatives and Rural Telephone Associations.

• Support legislation enacting, upon adequate research, a National Power Grid linking all power planning agencies, including any new sources of power development.

• Urge that authority of any grid system should never supersede or circumvent the Montana Laws on facility sitting, rate structure, pollution or reclamation.

• Favor universal telephone service at a reasonable cost.

• Rural telephone and electric coops should be exempt from paying fees for right of way on state and federal lands.

• Urge continuation of the present district-based elections for the Montana Public Service Commission.

Food Additives

• Urge closer control of additives, non-food substitutes and fillers, in foods, which lessen nutritional value.

Public Policy

• We recognize that there are many ethical, moral, and societal issues which are important to us as citizens, but don't relate directly to our organizational purpose. In these areas we encourage our members to utilize, where applicable, this public philosophy when participating in the formulation of such public policy, whether individually or as a part of other groups dedicated to responsible investigation and solutions to these issues.  But where public policy involves us as rural citizens and as Farmers Union members, we accept our responsibility to speak to these issues whether in the global arena, on the national scene, or in our state, cities and rural communities.

• The United States enjoys the safest, highest quality, and most economical food supply in the world.  We request our state and national organizations insist that government maintain the high inspection standards for foreign vegetables, meats and food products, which apply to U.S. producers.

• The strength of America is rooted in self-sufficiency in natural resources, particularly food production.  We must not become dependent on imported food, which would be vulnerable to terrorist activity.  Federal spending priorities must not shortchange our domestic family farm agriculture.

• Encourage removing term limits for public office.

• Oppose use of metric system as unit of measurement on State and Federal highways.

• Oppose the sale of public lands.

• Support like rates, rules, and regulations on federal land leases.

• Support mandatory price reporting of livestock, including  captive supply by all major packers.

• Support further multi-lateral trade negotiations involving agricultural products provided the following concerns are satisfied before negotiations enter the final phase.

• Global trade should not drain the wealth of one country for the benefit of others.

• Montana Farmers Union does not support the outsourcing of Federal Government jobs.

• Products entering the U.S. must be produced and processed under the same sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions as those imposed on American family farmers.

• There must be a mechanism in place to mitigate the adverse effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations. 

•  The sovereignty of the USA and its states to govern within their borders must not be diluted or internationalized at all.

• Oppose the proposed multi-lateral agreement on investments.

• MFU supports the goal of the Final Report of the Vision 2005 Task Force on Agriculture to double Montana agricultural income.  While we may differ on certain recommendations we commend the Governor and Task Force members for their work.

• Oppose misuse of eminent domain laws by private companies and government.  Any person or entity should not be allowed to install another system on the taken property unless the owners of each parcel of the condemned property consent and are compensated in an amount negotiated by the owner. The person who lost possession of the land through eminent domain should be released from liability for any damage.

• We support efforts to reform eminent domain law.  It must include liability of developers for damage to the land.  There must be clear evidence that the project will serve the public interest enforcement of a mitigation plan, and a just compensation for the damage. Landowners should also have the option of leasing, rather than deeding the land condemned, with appropriate safeguards for the landowner should the land be eventually returned.

Public Transportation

• Support continuation of the Essential Air Service subsidy so that air links serving Montana's smaller cities can continue to operate.

• Call for an upgraded, efficient public passenger transportation, such as Amtrak.

Economic Development

• Urge state government to expand and improve the instate investment and loan programs.

Finance

• Urge that the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 be repealed and those powers and duties be vested in a representative National Monetary Board.

• Encourage Congress to call a monetary hearing with a thorough investigation of the entire monetary system and its effects on agriculture and the economy as a whole.

• Recommend revision of the federal bookkeeping system so that money repaid to the government would be credited to the fund from which it originated.

 Taxation

• In lieu of estate tax repeal, we support estate tax relief for family-owned farms, ranches and small businesses in order to facilitate the transfer of those enterprises to the next generation.  We also recommend:
  1) Increase the federal estate tax exemption per estate to $4 million immediately;
  2) Index the exemption annually;
  3) Simplify the exemption qualification rules and requirements;
  4) Implement graduated rates, and;
  5) Retain current Ag exemptions.

• Encourage fair and equitable valuations for all Ag land classifications so all agriculture can support corrective legislation.

• Montana Farmers Union supports a land classification system, which assures uniform and equitable assessed values, which must be straight-forward and easy for taxpayers to understand.  Classification should be based on productive capacity of the different soil types, based on sound science and taking into consideration the influence of climate on agricultural production.

• MFU supports the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association in its efforts to retain the existing property tax rates on electric transmission and distribution facilities.  We oppose imposition of an excise or sales tax on electric utility customers.

• Support the concept that taxes are levied to provide services people cannot provide efficiently for themselves based on the following principles

• Property taxes are a stable source of revenue and should be based on equitable appraisal.

• Income taxes based on ability to pay are the fairest method to generate revenue.

• Taxes on business should not be restrictive, but appropriate to their use of public services.

• Ask that property owners be granted the lowest land classification on all private land used for public roads and stream beds which are required to be open for public use.

• Urge continued efforts to improve the operation of the Workman's Compensation program, including closing "fraud loopholes".

• Request the State Department of Revenue to re‑ evaluate and continue review of all property in Montana, with the value of land being reviewed every 5 years.  The process should be completed in one year.

• Support a continual review of all tax-exempt property.

• Support re-enacting the 30 percent severance tax for coal and oppose any lowering of the tax rate.

• Oppose any effort to limit the right of states to tax their natural resources.

• Oppose any effort to increase motor fuel taxes and divert the revenue into the general fund at either the state or national level.

• Oppose any increase in the Farm Gross Vehicle Weight tax.

• Agricultural "inventories" should not be taxed if business inventories are exempt from taxation.

• Call on the State of Montana to require investor-owned utilities and corporations to pay taxes on the declared value of the property, which is then used for the purpose of ratemaking.

• Urge that full, realistic and accurate values be used for taxing railroads operating property in the State of Montana.

• Urge reinstatement of the 10 percent investment credit.

• Support a reasonable federal gift tax credit to children of farm families in recognition of their contribution to the business when the farm is incorporated and stock is distributed.

• Encourage that inheritance taxes on agricultural land be eliminated if land is passed to direct heirs and remains in agricultural use, operated by them, for at least 5 years.

• Request development of methods requiring absentee mineral interest owners to share the tax burden now borne solely by the surface owner.

• Support a fair and equitable timber tax.

• Encourage tax exemptions for energy saving devices.

• Oppose expanding trends to massive land holdings in America by foreign individuals and corporations.

• Urge the legislature to return to full funding of all schools.

• Oppose any general sales or value added tax at either the state or federal level

• Support legislation removing all tax advantages by non-agricultural operations that are derived from agricultural production.

• Oppose suspension of the fuel tax due to the fact that the fuel taxes generated are being spent to match Federal highway monies that create good paying jobs and a healthy highway construction program in Montana.

Medical Care

• Support 100% deductions for health insurance premiums of the self-employed and retired.

• Urge a cooperative effort between all health care and educational agencies to seek a solution to the critical shortages of health care personnel, particularly in our rural health care facilities.

• Urge cost containment be an element in any health care plan.

• Urge the Congress of the United States to enact a universal, single-payer, comprehensive health care plan for all Americans.

• Oppose cuts in health care benefits and all premium rate increases to all Medicare and Medicaid recipients and veterans.

Social Security

• Oppose any cuts in benefits and cost of living increases for Social Security recipients.

• Favor federal legislation making farmwomen recipients of Social Security as a partner rather than a dependent.

• Suggest that public employees should pay into Social Security and receive benefits on the same basis as all other citizens.

• Oppose any changes in the program, which would raise or move the retirement age.

• Oppose taxing of Social Security benefits by the State of Montana.

• Support raising the maximum income level upon which a person is required to pay social security taxes in order to maintain solvency of the Social Security System.

Rural Social Issues and Civil Rights

• Urge the federal and state government to continue funding the Green Thumb Program.

• Support and urge recognition of the importance of Senior Citizen's Centers as a vital function in our communities.

• Support the continuation of support for nutrition programs for the needy of all ages as well as other beneficial programs.

• Oppose right to work legislation.

• Reiterate our historic support for an equitable minimum wage.

Federal and State Laws and Regulations

• Require adequate compensation for land and/or relocation of facilities condemned under the Flood Plain Act by the federal government.

• Urge setting fair and equitable rental fees on state land, and an accurate evaluation of production potential based upon land classification.

• Urge the State Land Board to vigorously enforce its regulations.

• Urge redefinition of "Public Use" to curb abuses by questionable "Public Need" applications.

• Request a study of the cost of liability insurance, including both high punitive damage awards and limitation of awards.

• Ask that federally funded food programs in schools and at institutions and military installations use meat and dairy products produced and purchased in the United States.

• Urge that state and federal laws recognize the wife as a full partner in farm operations.

• Oppose covert surveillance of the motoring public by any and all agencies of state, county, or municipal government, except in the case of a detective in search of a specific suspect.

Foreign Policy

• Oppose using agricultural food products, exported or imported, at the State Department level as a tool in foreign policy.

Organization Policy

• We believe in the benefits of a grass roots organization.

• Montana Farmers Union is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates or provide financial support, members are encouraged to participate in the activities of the political party of their choice.