In front of John Deere tractors and a 1700s spring house in Mount Joy, Tom Corbett said today that he is the candidate who will allow farmers to continue to flourish if re-elected as state attorney general next month.
The Republican also picked up an endorsement from the largest farm organization in Pennsylvania.
"I will continue to protect the rights of farmers," Corbett told a dozen or so supporters at Brubaker Farms along Musser Road. "Pennsylvania's farm families to me represent a cornerstone of the Commonwealth's economic prosperity."
Corbett is challenged in the Nov. 4 election by Democrat John Morganelli, of Bethlehem, who is the Northampton County district attorney.
At this morning's press conference, Corbett discussed his role under Pennsylvania's Agricultural, Communities and Rural Environment law, enacted to help protect agriculture from unauthorized municipal regulation.
The ACRE law took effect in 2005 and gives farmers the right to ask the attorney general's office to review local ordinances that they feel unlawfully restrict normal agricultural operations or ownership.
Before ACRE, municipalities passed ordinances that hurt farmers without outside review, Corbett said.
Now, some municipalities go so far as to ask the attorney general's office if a certain proposal would be restrictive.
"I believe it's been a tremendous success," Corbett said of ACRE.
To date, Corbett's office has received 47 ACRE requests for review from farmers.
Twenty-two of them were denied, 18 were accepted and seven are pending review.
Six cases were resolved and the attorney general's office is negotiating with townships in seven others. Five cases have gone forward to litigation.
Morganelli said today he generally supports ACRE, but thinks Corbett is taking it too far in cases dealing with anti-sludge ordinances.
"Municipalities have the power to ban sludge," he contended. Morganelli said he believes Corbett's office has shown "a heavy hand" trying to stop local governments from banning sludge.
Carl T. Shaffer, president of the 44,000-member Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, lauded Corbett for his support of farmers, especially through ACRE.
ACRE ensures farm operations are "able to continue to grow and prosper and stay in business," he said.
Shaffer said all residents, not just farmers, benefit from ACRE because it protects a safe, affordable and abundant domestic food supply — in stark contrast to the nation's oil supplies.
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's political action committee, Farmers Allied for Responsive More Effective Representation, officially endorsed Corbett this morning.
"This is the first time the FARMER committee has ever endorsed a statewide candidate," Shaffer said.
After the press conference, Corbett toured the Brubaker farm to see its anaerobic digester, which converts livestock manure into electricity that is used on the farm and sold to PPL Electric Utilities.
Staff writer Ryan Robinson can be reached at rrobinson@LNPnews.com or 481-6032.
(163)
