LegisLetter 3.28.25

Federal 

At the federal level, the effects of cuts and other changes are still unfolding. Recent executive orders have made large cuts to USDA programs supporting local food procurement programs and food purchasing for local food banks, among other cuts. Another developing policy issue is the potential tariffs that the administration may implement on April 2nd. While it remains to be seen which tariffs will actually go into effect and at what rate, the latest possibility is a 25% tariff on vehicles not made in the United States. We are still collecting stories from folks who have been impacted by any of these changes, so if you have not shared your story yet or there have been developments, please submit your story at this link or by reaching out to us directly.

Also, coming up on the week of May 5th is the National Farmers Union’s Week of Action. The week’s programming includes opportunities for you to engage from your farm or ranch and to get updates from RMFU President Chad Franke and Director of Government Relations Tyler Garrett who will be in DC meeting with legislators. Stay tuned for more information upcoming about how you can be involved from your own farm or ranch.

Colorado

In Colorado, the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) finished its draft of the budget bill. Every department faces cuts due to the budget shortfall that Colorado has for this fiscal year, but fortunately, the impact on the Colorado Department of Agriculture should be minimal. However, some programs for rural communities, like services through the Behavioral Health Administration, have been reduced. The two biggest sources of debate were funding for education and healthcare. While the JBC did not make major cuts to either, the structural deficit in Colorado’s budget was not fixed either, so there will likely be pressure on the budget for years to come. 

Another challenge was funding the Healthy School Meals For All (HSMA) program. The JBC decided to move forward with an option that would cut around $34 million from the program but would leave enough to enable full funding of free school meals for all students through December 2025. Then, if the ‘raise revenue’ ballot measure passes at the November 2025 Colorado election, Colorado would be able to fund the program through the end of the year and beyond. If the raise revenue measure fails in November, then they would scale HSMA back to only cover schools with at least 25% of students who participate in a program that directly certifies them for free school meals like Medicaid or SNAP.

Outside the JBC, many bills that we are supporting are making good progress. For example:

• HB25-1166: Efforts to Reduce Food Waste has passed out of the House and out of its Senate Committee. This bill will provide resources for reducing food waste and further protect people, including farmers, from liability related to donated food. If passed by the full Senate.
• HB25-1203: Misbranding Cultivated Meat Products as Meat has now passed both chambers and heads to the Governor. This bill ensures that cultivated or lab-grown meat products are properly labeled to reflect how they were made. 

Follow Colorado’s bill tracker for RMFU here.

New Mexico

The New Mexico General Session ended 3/21/25. Stay tuned for a Legislative Roundup publication specific to New Mexico. 

Follow our New Mexico bill tracker here.

Stay in touch!

See all previous LegisLetters on our website and check out our weekly video updates on our YouTube channel.

As always, please feel free to reach out to the RMFU government relations team with any questions. 

Director of Government Relations: Tyler Garrett – ty***********@rm**.org

Associate Director of Government Relations: J Burow – j.*****@rm**.org