Looking Ahead to the 2025 Legislative Season

2024 has been an exciting year for the Government Relations team at RMFU. Looking ahead to 2025, we have plenty more to be excited about. At the national level, we are in regular contact with Members of Congress advocating for the completion of the Farm Bill. We expect that now that the election is over, Congress will likely pass a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. The new Congress will then work on a new Farm Bill during 2025. We will continue to monitor developments and provide timely updates on changes to the Farm Bill. 

At the state level, we are working with legislators as they plan their priorities for the 2025 sessions. As in the past water, wildfire mitigation, conservation, and wildlife interactions are issues we will likely be addressing across our three-state region. Colorado be in a tight budget year for 2025. Projections for the Colorado State Budget predict that just under one billion dollars in cuts will be necessary. While this reality will limit legislative possibilities, we will continue our work advocating for the best possible outcomes for farmers and ranchers. In New Mexico and Wyoming, we are still pushing for Right to Repair legislation. We are also tracking potential legislation in Wyoming on wildfire management. 

Each year, two highlights of our Farmers Union policy process are convention meetings and Drive-In events at state legislatures. This year, the annual National Farmers Union Convention will be held from March 9th through 11th in Oklahoma City, and we have a great group of RMFU delegates who will represent our policies well. We are also excited to announce that Sarah Cole Lewis, a member of our Larimer County Farmers Alliance chapter, has been appointed to the NFU Policy Committee.

As for Drive-Ins, The New Mexico Drive-In will be February 5-6, 2025, with the location still to be determined. Colorado Drive-In will be March 17, 2025, at the Knights of Columbus Hall and Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver. The date and location for the Wyoming Drive-In will be released soon.

We look forward a busy 2025 legislative season and we are grateful for the opportunity to push for policy solutions on your behalf. If you have any questions or ideas regarding policy, please feel free to reach out to the Government Relations team: Director of Government Relations, Tyler Garrett at tyler.garrett@rmfu.org and Associate Director of Government Relations, J Burow at j.burow@rmfu.org.