Assembly Agriculture Committee

Committee History

"The Constitution makes it the duty of the Legislature to encourage agriculture, that first and noblest of all industrial pursuits," declared Governor Peter H. Burnett to the first session of California's Legislature (Senate Journal, December 21, 1849). Not surprisingly then, Agriculture was one of the Assembly's original ten standing committees. Over the last century and a half, the committee's interests have gone from establishing favorable conditions for the development of agriculture to protecting what has become a multi-billion dollar agribusiness industry.

Just four weeks after its first meeting in 1850, the committee expressed deep concern that American farmers would not be attracted to California. Members feared that the state's destitute appearance "leads to doubt of the adaptation of the soil and climate to a successful experiment in that business, and is deterring many from engaging in it" (Senate Journal, January 14, 1850). As well, many farmers had not yet returned to the plough after heeding the call of gold. Finally, numerous conditions existed which discouraged engagement in farming, including horse stealing, the intentional setting of prairie fires, and the ever present destruction caused by wild animals. The committee devoted their attention over the next few years, and in some cases decades, to promoting legislation that would alleviate these problems. Thanks to subsidized irrigation, agriculture in California has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The committee has grown from its original five members to as many as seventeen in recent years. Members are usually from agricultural districts. Most issues reviewed by the committee pertain to the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Food and Agricultural Code. Each year the committee addresses critical issues related to commodities, industry-related commissions, agricultural land use and preservation, fairs and expositions, marketing law, pest management, pesticides, veterinary medicine, plant and animal health, and food labeling. They address state budget impacts to agriculture as well. The Agriculture Committee's 1997-1998 Legislative Summary from the committee chairperson states, "The Chair is committed to ensuring the continued viability for the agricultural industry, related industries, and the communities that rely on those industries, as well as making sure that there is full conformity to the laws of the state."

The chairpersons of this committee from 1971 were: