MVMA campaigns for agency's 'non-political' independence

St. Paul, Minn.-The Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) is lobbying against an item in the state's budget bill that would roll the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) into the state's Department of Agriculture.

At presstime, the bill was in limbo, because it had not made its waythrough the government's budgeting process.

MVMA is fighting for the continuity of MBAH's status as an independentboard.

"It's been this way for years and years, and it's worked,"says Sharon Vangsness, MVMA executive director. "Producers have directaccess to the Board of Animal Health without a lot of bureaucracy. It'svery efficient and we'd like to see it stay that way."

MVMA says the MBAH proposal is purely political posturing on behalf ofthe governor who initiated it.

"We want MBAH to remain nonpolitical," Vangsness says. "Ifit becomes political, every time there's a new governor or commissioner,we have the opportunity, or lack thereof, of changing commissioners. Thatisn't buyable for us."

According to Vangsness, the governor's argument is that by consolidatingthe administrative and operational functions of MBAH, it would streamlinethe organizational chart and strengthen the Department of Agriculture.

A decision was expected by late spring.