House Ag and Natural Resources Committee chair outlines priorities, rules and jurisdiction

Christine Reeves, chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, opened the committee’s Jan. 15 work session by setting ground rules for conduct and procedure and describing the panel’s policy priorities for the 2025 session.

Reeves said the committee will prioritize “community-centered, solution-oriented problem solving” with a focus on climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and food security. “What? So what? Now what?” she said, describing three questions she wants members to use when framing legislation and testimony.

The guidance mattered because the committee also received a staff briefing on the panel’s jurisdiction, which covers agricultural production and marketing, animal and livestock health, pesticide and fertilizer regulation, food policy, forestry and forest health, fisheries and wildlife management, salmon recovery, wildfire prevention and…