Assembly Bill 501 – Authored by Rep. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon)
Senate Bill 410 – Authored by Sen. Pam Galloway (R-Wausau)
Status
Senate Bill 410 was passed by voice vote in both the Senate and the Assembly on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. It now waits for Governor Walkers signature to become law.
Summary
Assembly Bill 501 and its companion, Senate Bill 410, would allow certain vehicles or vehicle combinations that are transporting manure to or from a farm to exceed road weight limits by not more than 15 percent from September 1 to November 30 of each year without a permit from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Background
Manure application is often subject to a narrow window of time in order to comply with best management practices. This ensures proper stewardship for the environment. Because of the narrow window of opportunity farmers have to apply nutrients to their fields, equipment has grown larger to accommodate efficiency. Larger equipment as well as the movement toward liquid manure storage for many agricultural operations has led to overweight equipment on roadways. Several areas around the state have begun enforcement of the road weight limits and are resulting in delays to apply nutrients to fields within the allotted time period as well as additional expenses to haul partial loads of manure to the field in order to meet road weight limits.
Position – Support