“We’ve had drought and floods, there was a late frost that killed much of the peach crop . . . so it’s been a challenging year,” shared Dwayne O’Dell, director of government affairs for the West Virginia Farm Bureau, during his presentation to the Pendleton County Farm Bureau at the end of August.
He shared first the recent successes enjoyed by the WVFB in achieving its legislative goals. O’Dell noted a bill that addressed the application of the state sales tax on forestry equipment, but not for agriculture. It removed the tax on equipment used in forestry, such as bulldozers, vehicles, and other necessities which is “a significant tax advantage for most people in the forestry business.”
Overall, the WVFB has joined in supporting the steady and “significant” diminishing of the personal income tax in West Virginia. Last session it dropped 5 percent, a total of 30 percent less burden in recent years.
Next, O’Dell mentioned Senate Bill 84, which took on the topic of drone and camera surveillance. He explained that the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources and other “state organizations had purchased drones and were able to fly those over private property and this bill changes that. They can still go with permission or by warrant.” He also stated that seven states had passed legislation limiting access to private property by DNR and other state officials.
“I have nothing against them,” said O’Dell of DNR and especially its law enforcement arm. “They have an important job of responsibility in West Virginia, but they can enter in the places that the state police cannot without a warrant. So those things will probably be addressed at the upcoming session.”
Related to the topic, O’Dell brought up the controversy over “Flock” cameras. These devices use artificial intelligence to examine and analyze imagery with the capability of tracking individuals.
Police officers in some jurisdictions have already been caught abusing their power. “You may have not heard about the controversy about what’s called ‘Flock’ cameras. Huntington and a few other cities have put in cameras . . . not to address traffic issues, but to identify those who wish to break the laws in West Virginia,” he said.
O’Dell pointed out that they have served well in helping law enforcement more quickly track down offenders in child abduction cases. The cameras also “capture the data of everyone who goes through that intersection.”
O’Dell then turned to data centers, topics that he called “controversial.” He shared that he has seen “seven or eight pretty solidly proposed for West Virginia and another five or six that are also being proposed.” He shared that some have criticized their energy use, but added that House Bill 2014 allowed high impact data centers to construct their own power source. Industry trade journals have also shared that is the expected trend, especially with legislation coming at the state and federal level requiring companies building them to shoulder the burden of higher rates that may come as a result.
He then shared information on the tax revenues expected and where they would go. Half of the revenues allocated to the state go into a personal income tax reduction fund. “In West Virginia, you folks that are still working, you pay a little over $2 billion in personal income tax,” he commented.
“By the number of those data centers being proposed, you could wipe out the personal income tax,” O’Dell said. Other states have also zeroed out the income tax, but increased the more regressive sales tax to make up for the loss. The State of West Virginia seeks to shift the burden of personal income taxes from individual taxpayers to companies operating data centers.
“The other big issue will be power generation or at least electric lines. It certainly is a private property right,” he explained. Referring to the proposed transmission line projects being constructed to expand capacity and prevent shortages and losses of power during peak periods, he said, “The grid is pretty old” and added that some vital infrastructure near the Kanawha Valley was constructed around the time of World War II.
Moving on from that topic, O’Dell said, “Here’s a big one. The level of what I call the courts intervening in things that they have no business in and no constitutional authority.” He added that “you read in the paper all kinds of things about the courts making a decision, that ultimately has to go up in the Supreme Court, and it’s weighing down on the entire legal process in the United States. That will have a huge effect on farmers also.”
For much of American history, state and federal courts acted in restraint and would not consider cases they felt were best handled by the legislative branch. Increasingly, courts have broadened their field of activity to the point where some judges rule on their personal opinions and not the law.
O’Dell then touched on the shortage of lawyers in West Virginia and rural areas across the country. “The problem is they’re concentrated in the bigger cities. Places like Franklin, other rural areas, do not have much access to legal counsel. This slows down business contracts, land purchases, and other vital aspects of day-to-day business for farmers and other businesses. Some counties have reported that they struggle to find lawyers to help process estates.”
“Secondly, I believe the MAHA (Make American Healthy Again) movement that Secretary (Robert) Kennedy (Jr.) is guiding for President Trump will have a major effect.” O’Dell shared that health concerns are pushing shifts in the American diet. “I really believe the GLP-1 drugs will have an effect on our society because those who take that medication generally are placed also on a diet of higher protein. That will drive the meat business in the United States in a different fashion in the next few years than I believe is currently going on.”
Finally, O’Dell warned of a dangerous threat from urban youth and their dalliance with socialism. The economic philosophy of Karl Marx, whether one calls it communism or socialism, led to the murder of millions of farmers in Russia, Red China, Cambodia, and elsewhere as lands were stolen from farmers and natural rights infringed against all.
