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South Dakota governor urged to block imports of Canadian cattle
By JOE KAFKA
Associated Press
PIERRE, S.D. -- Republican Gov. Mike Rounds should follow the lead of his predecessor and close the state border to cattle from Canada, a potential political opponent said Wednesday.
Ron Volesky of Huron, who plans to seek the 2006 Democratic nomination for governor, said the recent reopening of the United States border to Canadian cattle and beef products has put South Dakota's cattle herds at risk of infection from mad cow disease.
The United States banned Canadian cattle in May 2003 after Canada's first case of the fatal brain-wasting disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE. The ban was about to end in March when a ranchers' group persuaded a federal judge to keep it in place.
However, an appeals court overruled the judge on July 14, and the border was reopened.
In a letter to Rounds, Volesky noted that former Gov. Bill Janklow took the bold step of closing the South Dakota border to Canadian products in September 1998. Janklow orchestrated a three-week, inspection blockade of Canadian grain and livestock to protest trade practices that the four-term GOP governor said were unfair. He lifted the ban when U.S. and Canadian officials agreed to hold trade talks.
Resumption of cattle imports from Canada calls for drastic action to protect South Dakota's cattle industry, Volesky told The Associated Press.
"The governor needs to lead on this issue," he said. "We, as a state, need to stand up and fight for our cattle producers. It's just the right thing to do."
The response from Rounds' office Wednesday was brief.
"The governor receives thousands of letters each year and personally responds to each one through an established process. That policy won't change for political candidates," replied Mark Johnston, the governor's press secretary.
The cattle industry is the bedrock of state economic development, said Volesky, who spent 16 years in the state Legislature, first as a Republican and later as a Democrat.
A flood of Canadian cattle not only would pose a health threat to domestic herds but also would drive down cattle prices, he said.
"As a result, the narrow margins of profit which South Dakota cattle producers are currently faced with will turn into great losses," he warned.
"I recognize that this decision carries with it great political implications," Volesky continued. "Closing the South Dakota border would go against the wishes of the Bush administration, along with much of the Republican leadership in Congress."
Aware that he might be criticized for political posturing, Volesky retorted that Rounds would lose few votes by ordering a blockade on Canadian cattle.
"I'm encouraging the governor to do this," Volesky said. "I'm trying to help the guy out. I'm trying to help him do the right thing."
By JOE KAFKA
Associated Press
PIERRE, S.D. -- Republican Gov. Mike Rounds should follow the lead of his predecessor and close the state border to cattle from Canada, a potential political opponent said Wednesday.
Ron Volesky of Huron, who plans to seek the 2006 Democratic nomination for governor, said the recent reopening of the United States border to Canadian cattle and beef products has put South Dakota's cattle herds at risk of infection from mad cow disease.
The United States banned Canadian cattle in May 2003 after Canada's first case of the fatal brain-wasting disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE. The ban was about to end in March when a ranchers' group persuaded a federal judge to keep it in place.
However, an appeals court overruled the judge on July 14, and the border was reopened.
In a letter to Rounds, Volesky noted that former Gov. Bill Janklow took the bold step of closing the South Dakota border to Canadian products in September 1998. Janklow orchestrated a three-week, inspection blockade of Canadian grain and livestock to protest trade practices that the four-term GOP governor said were unfair. He lifted the ban when U.S. and Canadian officials agreed to hold trade talks.
Resumption of cattle imports from Canada calls for drastic action to protect South Dakota's cattle industry, Volesky told The Associated Press.
"The governor needs to lead on this issue," he said. "We, as a state, need to stand up and fight for our cattle producers. It's just the right thing to do."
The response from Rounds' office Wednesday was brief.
"The governor receives thousands of letters each year and personally responds to each one through an established process. That policy won't change for political candidates," replied Mark Johnston, the governor's press secretary.
The cattle industry is the bedrock of state economic development, said Volesky, who spent 16 years in the state Legislature, first as a Republican and later as a Democrat.
A flood of Canadian cattle not only would pose a health threat to domestic herds but also would drive down cattle prices, he said.
"As a result, the narrow margins of profit which South Dakota cattle producers are currently faced with will turn into great losses," he warned.
"I recognize that this decision carries with it great political implications," Volesky continued. "Closing the South Dakota border would go against the wishes of the Bush administration, along with much of the Republican leadership in Congress."
Aware that he might be criticized for political posturing, Volesky retorted that Rounds would lose few votes by ordering a blockade on Canadian cattle.
"I'm encouraging the governor to do this," Volesky said. "I'm trying to help the guy out. I'm trying to help him do the right thing."
