Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The head of one of Missouri’s most powerful and enduring agricultural groups talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Jonathan Ahl and Sarah Kellogg about his organization’s agenda for 2022.
Here’s what Hawkins discussed:
- What the Missouri Farm Bureau is and what it stands for, as well as what his group would like to see the Missouri General Assembly do in the 2022 session.
- Ongoing efforts to alter the state’s eminent domain laws. That’s become a perennial issue in the Missouri legislature because of the Grain Belt Express utility line.
- Where the state should spend coronavirus relief money from what’s known as the American Rescue Plan. One potential use of the money could be to expand the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia.
- His organization’s misgivings about the Rock Island Trail being converted into a state park.
Hawkins is a beef cattle farmer from Appleton City in St. Clair County. He was elected to succeed Blake Hurst, who had served as the head of the bureau since 2010.
Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum
Follow Jonathan Ahl on Twitter: @JonathanAhl
Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkelogg
Follow the Missouri Farm Bureau on Twitter: @MOFarmBureau
