Senator Joey Pendleton, D-Hopkinsville, was elected vice chair of the Agriculture and Redevelopment Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference
(SLC) at its 64th annual meeting this week in Charleston, SC.
“I am honored to be chosen vice chair of such an important committee. This position will not only provide me the opportunity to share ideas with my
counterparts in other states, but also the concerns and issues facing the Commonwealth,” Pendleton said. “As a legislator, I have always been a strong
advocate of the agriculture industry and this position will allow me to expand on the issues facing the industry. I look forward to representing
Kentucky on this committee.”
Senator Pendleton, a farmer, added that the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee focuses on issues critical to the future of farming and farm
communities. As the “engine of the economy,” agriculture constitutes a vital sector of the economies of most Southern states.
Recent committee initiatives include updates on international trade and agriculture, consolidation in the farm sector, and conservation and farm land
preservation. Other issues in which the Committee has long-standing interests are the imported red fire ant, the status of the rural South, and food
safety and security. The Committee has focused on the changing face of agriculture across America and conditions in the rural South. The status and
future of rural communities is emerging as a major focus for the Committee. The Committee also works annually with public and private agencies, local
and federal officials, and the land grant university system to assure the continued vitality of the region’s farm and rural communities.
“I look forward to my work as vice chair. It will give me the chance to hear new ideas and to access information that can help my district and the
entire state,” Pendleton said, “It will also offer me an opportunity to express the concerns I hear from local farmers to people who are influential at
the national level.”
The Agriculture and Rural Development Committee is one of seven SLC standing committees and is the oldest. SLC’s mission is to foster and encourage
intergovernmental cooperation among its 15 member states. In large measure this is achieved through the meetings, publications and policy positions of
the Conference’s seven standing committees. Committee members are appointed by their chamber’s legislative leadership and each committee elects its own
officers. Through the deliberations of Committee members, the issues facing all Southern state legislatures are considered.
Senator Pendleton said the SLC committees provide for an exchange of information through dialogue, meeting sessions and networking opportunities. In
addition to the meetings, committees disseminate information through special seminars, websites, a variety of written documents and audio tapes.
Senator Pendleton, who has served in the State Senate since 1993, represents the 3rd District, which includes Christian, Todd and Logan counties.