U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson announced on May 1 that the House has passed the Farm Bill, a move he said brings greater certainty to farmers and ranchers in South Dakota. Johnson said this legislation includes several priorities aimed at supporting rural America and producers in his state.
The Farm Bill is important because it addresses key issues for agricultural communities, including policy updates that impact planning and operations for producers. “Farmers and ranchers want certainty as they plan for the future, and outdated farm policy is holding them back,” Johnson said.
Johnson explained that a dozen of his priorities were included in the bill, such as expanding processing capacity outside of major meat packers, protecting American trade interests, ending California’s Proposition 12 requirements, and supporting conservation efforts on working lands. He added that these measures will strengthen communities and secure food supply chains.
Broadband access was also highlighted by Johnson as a focus of the new Farm Bill. He said federal programs must be implemented effectively to expand high-speed internet to remote areas: “Access to high-speed internet brings e-commerce, education, and socialization to the most remote areas of our state.” This week he met with the South Dakota Telecommunications Association to discuss further steps toward improving connectivity across South Dakota.
Johnson also addressed water infrastructure needs due to population growth in South Dakota. He testified before the House Natural Resources Committee about bills designed to help regional water projects receive necessary approvals so they can provide resources from the Missouri River to more than half of South Dakota’s population.
Dusty Johnson has represented South Dakota’s at-large district in Congress since 2019 according to Wikipedia. Born in Pierre in 1976, he currently lives in Mitchell as reported by Biographical Directory. He graduated from the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999 according to Ballotpedia.
