[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6632813,"mediaKeyId","2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b","parentId",2670287,"title","East Tennessee farmers describe devastation from Hurricane Helene; Agriculture Crime Unit coordinated relief","audioSeconds",646,"startMs",1987000,"endMs",2633000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b&start=1987&end=2633","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b/thumbnail_1987000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6632813/Tennessee/East-Tennessee-farmers-describe-devastation-from-Hurricane-Helene-Agriculture-Crime-Unit-coordinated-relief","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632813-087f586a0189cfab9c33e69f66084e29/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084191&Signature=Wz1ebDJfON138wHo1yUAGyKPaRV3nH4ds8TQRZzvGk9b1rwYZzPcHY18i4ZwFRIei3sDzt3rhFQXL7wJamknOaeONgWXGbgz0IVZoM-eAXG2PDJyoEFxhp7OmhRkFN~IYiC2Lf1gQwKIquIxVkz~~mjeUe-PXLMKzRarCYA7eApabBJDJ15g-Ro0hs6KrPr7KV19QuC2WLwCUvA3oeExM9Ypfo6UZyaUM8lk4w68Jlt9M4WaBHMVq~q0vGmDHzr-1sbYdUsuqpe5-Lwlx3G~0nNa3Toa4OZkVxQQ-88--Ktg-lMfYwQFsVoO1GCHBo6be522zduVl6lFg39AuUnPow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN House of Representatives","date","2025-03-18T15:34:32.227Z","article","Farmers from East Tennessee and representatives of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Crime Unit told the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee about widespread agricultural damage after Hurricane Helene and the state response to immediate needs.

Corbin Nees, a fifth‑generation farmer from Parisville, said his operation lost nearly 250 acres of row crops and that some fields received about 6 feet of sand. \"It knocked almost 6 to probably 6 feet of sand on 1 field,\" Nees said, describing erosion and buried equipment. He said recovery work was ongoing and that neighbors and local groups had provided assistance.

Greg Whitehead, special agent in charge of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Crime Unit, described the unit’s emergency response in Northeast Tennessee: deploying personnel to an Elizabethton command center, inventorying incoming donations, conducting ground and aerial surveys with the Tennessee Highway Patrol to locate producers in need, and organizing deliveries and airlifts of hay and livestock supplies with the National Guard and Knox County Sheriff’s Office. \"We loaded livestock supplies up on the National Guard helicopters and the Knox County Sheriff's Department's helicopters,\" Whitehead said, and described organizing donations so that supplies went first to producers with immediate needs.

Whitehead said his unit of 10 officers sent eight agents to the region and helped coordinate distribution of feed, temporary fencing and solar fence chargers for producers without power. He also estimated statewide losses from the storm in East Tennessee at about $1.3 billion.

Committee members thanked the witnesses and asked producers to keep lawmakers informed about ongoing needs; no formal committee action was taken on disaster aid during this hearing.

The testimony highlighted immediate relief activities (donation management, targeted deliveries, airlifts), continuing recovery needs (field restoration, buried equipment), and an estimate of the storm’s agricultural losses provided to the committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee- March 18, 2025- House Hearing Room 1","oneSentenceSummary","Farmers and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Ag Crime Unit told the committee about crop losses, silt and rock deposits, airlifts of hay and donated supplies, and an estimated $1.3 billion in storm losses after Hurricane Helene.","taxTitle","Agriculture & Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29609,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632817,"FFA, 4‑H and ag leadership leaders ask lawmakers to fund camps and leadership programs on Ag Day",565,1406000,1971000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b&start=1406&end=1971","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b/thumbnail_1406000.jpg","/articles/6632817/Tennessee/FFA-4H-and-ag-leadership-leaders-ask-lawmakers-to-fund-camps-and-leadership-programs-on-Ag-Day","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632817-6f9e500cf6c00735983f6320affa965b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084191&Signature=H-y1wx-GHHhysQT0C4mPGrv3BdRT5HbFbJ0sguqHrwGt8D4NnZCVtuO~Tl1YqPwqmfhAy9meaaDA9gfwXmsJ6ng2nMCYWF8GvhFxl2-T6EqRey0rlvry2tj0gCjpqbRl3CqwIleM3ZpQgyMMThzf-xclmr9jSYb3pDfnyVdhjoOUZEe6u~hGKhIE--sfPGRIlCv2zRRehD8MkjWdm9~Pk-ATZnpG1-yQsJCa3fdPpazoMLYt72-gJkHiBBYCKMa8tmQKc0zgTdLm9tv3aBtWr0MdRdla3YUyewWIhr6zXqALUX1qa7D7UGX5tr4Y4YT86DF2BNzVS7aSciFY6CnIpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On Ag Day at the State Capitol, youth leaders and agricultural program participants told the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee that investing in camps and leadership programs helps prepare future farmers and natural‑resources professionals.

T'Wang Williams, representing FFA, told committee members Camp Clements — which the speaker described as the nation’s oldest FFA camp — has hosted more than 50,000 students, advisors and guests over 95 years and helps participants find career direction. \"Shortly after that week at camp, Daltrey reached out to me and said that his perspective on the agriculture industry had been completely transformed,\" Williams said, describing one student’s decision to change his college major to agricultural business after attending camp.

Gabe Harville, the 2024–25 Tennessee 4‑H state council president, told the committee Tennessee 4‑H serves roughly 151,000 members in 29 project areas and that annual camp programs reach roughly 20,000 youth, including 5,000 4‑H campers and 15,000 students visiting from school classrooms. Harville noted Governor Bill Lee’s proposed budget includes $46,000,000 for improvements to 4‑H camps and for implementing STEM centers at the state’s four camps, and urged lawmakers to support those investments.

Benji Daniel, a sixth‑generation farmer and member of the inaugural Tennessee Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program cohort, thanked the Department of Agriculture and several sponsors for establishing the program and said it helps develop leadership skills farmers use in community and organizational service.

Speakers emphasized that camps and leadership programs create tangible workforce and civic benefits by exposing students to conservation, STEM and agriculture careers. Committee members acknowledged the presentations and applauded the student participants who attended Ag Day events.

The presenters and organizations named during the Ag Day remarks included Camp Clements, the FFA, Tennessee 4‑H, the Clyde M. York 4‑H Center, the UT Institute of Agriculture, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, Farm Credit Mid‑America, Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s leadership program.","Young leaders from FFA, 4‑H and an agriculture leadership program told the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee about the role of camp and leadership programs in training future agriculturalists and asked for investment in facilities and STEM programming.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6632821,"Tennessee committee advances bill limiting state lawsuits over pesticide labels; 12-4 vote",1724,2720000,4444000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b&start=2720&end=4444","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2670287-27ffa05550fb8838e339a43296d6964b/thumbnail_2720000.jpg","/articles/6632821/Tennessee/Tennessee-committee-advances-bill-limiting-state-lawsuits-over-pesticide-labels-12-4-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6632821-dd10de5fed5fd6589e5f5e86aa0828ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771084192&Signature=NOPmWYWbyhZf2916exLJsBPcSAkgdDk02Lpr-GRKXQMveRL4OeeluXI1YFHXgzGpVgk47aGXb-qYzzcq0GMm1ARaRa5yWp5-84q2EtFrge09gth1E-wLBGa7mx1NPlqKULFS4H5WxPOqM3n2UOPMkb-JqimlZyQ6ArkWZxhVwXELrLsfk4aHmaJEj~IukmDY8N4hiXYWrDnp3TLPgyUR8PYZc2xpaBEyqnmd4ny9z1OG6MWcc7kAJVM2vb4gXfAcRDpQ6753oGK4cUZiFFIbFl9zFqX~HdxhB435kC4e7T~zyW8CenQp3mtD8-IJ7LAg4GCwMH~3D28JLN9GLaxQsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee voted 12–4 to advance House Bill 809 to the Judiciary Committee after more than an hour of public testimony on the bill’s effect on pesticide litigation.

The bill, described by its sponsor as a narrow measure to protect companies that follow EPA labeling rules, would bar certain state civil claims tied directly to pesticide labeling. Supporters told the committee the measure is needed to preserve farmers’ access to crop‑protection tools; opponents said it would remove victims’ ability to seek redress when labels fail to disclose harms.

Representative Grills, the member who presented the bill, said the measure \"provides protection to companies that apply and receive a label through EPA's FIFRA\" and emphasized that once the EPA grants an approved label, companies cannot change it without violating federal law. He said the bill aims to prevent suits based on label content that the federal statute and EPA preclude.

Several people testified for and against the bill during the committee’s public comment period. Casey Pistona, an MTSU social work student, said in opposition, \"Please oppose house bill 8 0 9,\" and described long‑term harms she attributed to corporate pollution in her hometown of Anniston, Alabama. Tiffany Carpenter, a plaintiff’s mass‑tort attorney from Memphis, told the committee the bill \"does not protect farmers\" and argued it would \"protect Bayer\" and other manufacturers by limiting failure‑to‑warn and related claims.

Kevin Hensley of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation told the panel the federal government controls pesticide labels and that manufacturers are being sued for risks regulators restrict them from posting. \"This legislation is very narrowly tailored specific to claims around the label and still allows for claims around Tennessee products liability cases in title 29 of Tennessee law and common law,\" Hensley said.

Other farmer witnesses, including George McDonald of Smith County and Johnny Dodson of Dyer and Lauderdale counties, described pesticides as essential tools for reducing erosion and protecting yields and urged support for the bill. Several committee members spoke in favor, citing concerns about maintaining domestic agricultural production; others, including Representative Jones and Representative Behn, opposed the bill on the grounds it prioritizes corporate liability protections over Tennesseans’ right to sue for injury.

A motion to move the bill passed; the clerk reported the committee vote as 12 ayes and 4 nays. House Bill 809 will now go to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

Votes at a glance:
- House Bill 809 — Advanced to Judiciary Committee; committee vote 12 ayes, 4 nays.

The committee hearing included multiple speakers and written materials on both sides. No amendments to the bill were adopted in the committee on this date.

Funding and legal context mentioned in testimony focused on the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and EPA labeling requirements; the bill’s language as presented ties state civil‑liability limits to federally approved labels.

The committee rolled remaining calendar items to its next meeting and adjourned.","The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee advanced House Bill 809 to Judiciary after public testimony for and against. Supporters said the measure protects farmers by aligning with EPA label rules; opponents said it would shield manufacturers from injury suits.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

East Tennessee farmers describe devastation from Hurricane Helene; Agriculture Crime Unit coordinated relief

FFA, 4‑H and ag leadership leaders ask lawmakers to fund camps and leadership programs on Ag Day

Tennessee committee advances bill limiting state lawsuits over pesticide labels; 12-4 vote