Last week the House Agriculture Committee approved the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act by a voice vote. The measure prevents EPA from requiring additional permits for pesticide applications. Many of those are covered by FIFRA (federal insecticide fungicide and rodenticide act).  Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap says it’s good the committee is trying to eliminate extraneous and unneeded regulations.

Paap is hopeful the measure will get full House approval and then make it through the Senate.

Meanwhile House Ag Chair Frank Lucas called the additional pesticide permits unnecessary and the result of a misguided federal court decision as well as a duplicative regulatory burden never intended by Congress.