ATLANTA – State Representative Mickey Stephens (D-Savannah) was recently invited to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Agriculture Task Force 2016 Spring Meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina from May 19-21, where a select group of task force members and agriculture-focused legislators will gather to discuss pressing state-federal agriculture policy. Rep. Stephens was invited to attend as a member of the NCSL Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee.
“I look forward to engaging with legislators from across the nation to consider pertinent issues facing agriculture policy,” said Rep. Stephens. “As one of the top economic contributors to our state’s economy, agriculture plays a crucial role in the positive development of our state’s business model by supporting jobs, crops, livestock and many more. I am excited to learn more about other state and federal agriculture policies and share those ideas with my colleagues back home.”
During the invitation only 2016 Spring Meeting, attendees will visit the Bayer’s CropSciences North American Bee Care Center and Greenhouses, as well as North Carolina State’s Centennial Campus to examine the technological, scientific, and academic resources used to promote sustainable agriculture.
NCSL’s Agriculture Task Force was created to examine state and federal agriculture policy issues. The task force will help develop NCSL agriculture policy, study critical agriculture and rural development issues facing the states, explore policy options to address these concerns, as well as serve as a conduit for state legislative communication with Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves legislators and staffs from across the nation. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues in addition to advocating for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
For more information about NCSL and its Agriculture Task Force 2016 Spring Meeting, please click here.
Representative Mickey Stephens represents the citizens of District 165, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2008, and currently serves on the Health & Human Services, Insurance, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Regulated Industries, and Ways & Means committees.
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