Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries discussed the importance of two recently introduced bills in a State House news conference held yesterday. One bill, the Registered Service Agent Act, addresses the department’s Weights & Measures Division, as I had a chance to talk with him about that.
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Montgomery – Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries discussed the importance of two recently introduced bills in a State House news conference held yesterday. One bill, the Registered Service Agent Act, addresses the department’s Weights & Measures Division, which is responsible for certifying all measuring devices in the state, including fuel pumps.
“We need to assure fairness in the marketplace to both the buyer and seller. That is our goal in this legislation which provides our department the monitoring ability we have long needed to require timely and accurate inspections,” McMillan said.
Sponsor of the legislation – SB261 – is Senator Billy Beasley of Clayton. Representative Paul Lee of Dothan will sponsor the equivalent bill in the House, which will be introduced soon.
“I appreciate Senator Beasley and Representative Lee taking the lead on this legislation, which satisfies our responsibility to the people of Alabama,” McMillan added.
A second bill transfers the Alabama Farmers Market Authority to the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. Sponsors of that legislation – SB 247 and HB 342 – are Senator Bobby Singleton of Greensboro and Representative Chad Fincher of Semmes.
“This legislation consolidates two state agencies into one, providing cost efficiencies. Today, there is greater interest in farmers markets and locally grown foods. With us working together as one, we can bring more resources to bear on this important endeavor,” McMillan added.
In a related matter, McMillan said that another important bill will be introduced soon concerning revenues collected from the petroleum commodities inspection fee. The agriculture department has been working with the Department of Transportation and Department of Revenue to craft a more efficient method of collection.