With a new majority in the U.

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

With a new majority in the U.S. Senate, Minnesota’s agricultural industry received a boost Tuesday when Sen. Paul Wellstone was named to the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The appointment means Minnesota becomes one of only two states with two representatives on the committee. Sen. Mark Dayton already serves on the committee; Arkansas is the only other state with two senators on the panel.

The appointment comes at a crucial time as Congress begins the process of writing a new farm bill.

"Obviously I’ll be focusing on the price crisis," Wellstone said during a conference call with editors and reporters Tuesday.

Wellstone said his roots in agriculture are deep. He started organizing with farmers in the late 1970s and has been working with farmers for almost 30 years.

"I’ve spoken at a lot of farm gatherings," Wellstone said of his travels.

The 1996 Freedom to Farm bill, which Wellstone calls "Freedom to Fail," needs an overhaul and he said he looks forward to working with Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, the committee’s chairman, and other members of the panel in writing a new law.

"We need to write a new farm bill," Wellstone said, adding later that "farmers in our state and the Midwest don’t want to be dependent on the government."

The appointment was effective Tuesday.

"This gives me additional leverage," Wellstone said of his new role.

The senator will continue his membership on other panels: Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Small Business; Veterans Affairs; and Indian Affairs.

Also on Tuesday, Dayton was named to a seat on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. The panel oversees the workings of the federal government, including the Postal Service, the IRS and collection of census data and other information.

Call Chuck Gysi at 434-2230 or e-mail him at chuck.gysi@austindailyherald.com.