CORRECTED: Secretary Perdue Statement on Extension of Agriculture Exemption from ELD Mandate
(Washington, D.C., March 13, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for her announcement of an additional 90-day extension of the agriculture exemption from the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. Agricultural compliance with the mandate would have been problematic for the agriculture industry because the devices do not accurately account for the agricultural exemptions currently provided in the law.
The ELD rule went into effect in December 2017, with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) granting the agriculture industry an initial exemption that was set to expire on March 18, 2018.
With the granting of another extension, the agriculture industry will now have additional time to comply.
Secretary Sonny Perdue issued the following statement:
“The ELD mandate imposes restrictions upon the agriculture industry that lack flexibility necessary for the unique realities of hauling agriculture commodities. If the agriculture industry had been forced to comply by the March 18 deadline, live agricultural commodities, including plants and animals, would have been at risk of perishing before they reached their destination. The 90-day extension is critical to give DOT additional time to issue guidance on hours-of-service and other ELD exemptions that are troubling for agriculture haulers.”
“Current ELD technologies do not recognize the hours-of-service exemptions for agriculture that are in federal law. This is a classic example of a one-size-fits-all federal regulation that ignores common sense to the detriment of sectors like agriculture.
“I applaud Secretary Chao for recognizing these obstacles and giving extra time for compliance while DOT issues guidance. While public safety is a critical concern for all of trucking, the safety of living agricultural commodities in transport must also be considered.”
BACKGROUND: Agriculture haulers operating within 150 air miles of the source of their agriculture products or livestock do not have to comply with DOT’s hours-of-service regulation, which limits driving hours to only 11 hours after being off duty for more than 10 consecutive hours. For more information on the hours-of-service exemption for agriculture shipments, visit this U.S. DOT webpage: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/eld-hours-service-hos-and-agriculture-exemptions.
For more information on agriculture commodities that are transported to domestic and foreign markets, visit this USDA webpage: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/transportation-analysis.
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Combating Violence with Kindness
Utah Legislature Passed a Resolution Designating April as #MSDkindness Month
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Legislature passed HCR 22, Concurrent Resolution Designating April as #MSDkindness Month, which aims to pay tribute to the victims who lost their lives in the senseless act of violence that was committed against students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Paul Ray (R-Clinton) and Sen. Daniel Thatcher (R-West Valley), designates April as Act of Kindness month to encourage Utahns to perform random acts of humanity to honor the victims of Parkland, Florida. In honor of #MSDKindness, a feature was added to the SafeUT so users could report acts of kindness in addition to incidents of crisis. People are encouraged to report their acts of kindness during April through SafeUT, which has been designed to improve school safety and help students access critical mental health resources. These acts of kindness will highlight the good of the community while engaging students in using an app that aims to help prevent future acts of violence.
“It is my goal to makes sure that my daughter’s legacy is remembered as one not of tragedy, but of hope, service, and love,” said Ryan Petty, the father of 14-year-old Alaina who lost her life during the recent attack in Florida. “It is also my goal to make sure this time will be different because we are going to focus on school safety initiatives to prevent anyone else from going through what we have gone through these past few weeks. I am grateful to the sponsors and supporters of this initiative who are working diligently to accomplish both of these goals.”
“The purpose of this resolution is to focus on the hope that comes from the strength of families, like the Petty's,” said Rep. Ray. “Their determination is an example to us all on how to persevere through challenging times and bring about positive change to school safety. My heart goes out to families during this time of unthinkable loss. Utah is ready to lead by taking actions to promote acts of kindness as well as developing the Davis School District mental wellness program that can serve as a model for schools around the state and nation.”
"With the noise of the world getting louder every day, simple acts of kindness are the best way to get to the root of the problem,” said Sen. Thatcher. “In fact, it may be the only way.”
“My heart also goes out to the perpetrator of this evil and senseless act,” said Petty. “And I wonder if somebody had put their arms around this young man a few months ago or a few years ago, would his life have been different? How much would the lives of the 17 families who have been impacted by the choices he made be different.”
SafeUT was launched in January 2016, following the passage of SB 175, School Safety and Crisis Line. Attorney General Sean Reyes, chair, and Rep. Steve Eliason and Sen. Thatcher are on the SafeUT Commission, which serves as a powerful tool for dealing with school safety, teen suicide and the opioid epidemic. The Pettys have publicly encouraged Florida Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi for the adoption of a version of the SafeUT in the Sunshine State.
"By designating April Kindness month, we want to encourage a little kindness to go a long way,” said Attorney General Reyes. “One small act of kindness can change the trajectory of a life. In doing this we honor the legacy of those children and families in Parkland, Florida, many of whom were dedicated to acts of kindness and service and all of whom deserved more years to accomplish them. By celebrating their lives, we hopefully remind ourselves that we are all part of one large human family. We hope our challenge to other states continues a wave of kindness that will cascade over the nation and turn such tragedy into a little bit of light. Thank you to the Petty family for being an inspiration to us. Alaina has become one of our heroes for her kindness."
Reyes Family Foundation, The Grand America Hotel and M. Peterson Consulting hosted the Petty Family while they were in Utah.
The resolution also challenges other states to claim the remaining months in the year to carry on the legacy of kindness and service left by those who lost their lives in this tragic incident. Two cities in Washington, Camas and Washougal, have already declared March as their month of kindness to honor the victims of this singular act of violence.
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Watch the press conference here.
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Joan Romney Groves announces release of ‘Where Is My Home?’
Book tells story of one cat who was born to be wild
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – The amazing ability of a cat to find his home after being away for nine months and being 30 miles away inspired Joan Romney Groves to write “Where Is My Home?” (published by AuthorHouse). This is the true story of a prodigal cat who leaves home, experiences the world and goes to extremes to find his way back home.
The book tells the story of Sonic, the cat who was “born to be wild.” When he was given the opportunity to be free, he found many difficult challenges. Although 30 miles from home, he spent nine months battling the weather, animals, traffic, people, sleep, hunger and sickness before he reached his home. When he got home, he settled into the same quilt in the garage where he was born.
“I want children to realize that even though they may be unhappy at home on occasion, there is no place that will provide them with more love and satisfaction than being at home,” Groves says.
An excerpt from the book:
Sonic came to a city street. The traffic was crowded and dangerous. With lightning speed, he darted between cars. Brakes screeched and horns honked as he splashed through rain puddles. Thunder rattled the air.
"Yeoow!" he shrieked shivering with fright. “Where is my home?"
“Where Is My Home?”
By Joan Romney Groves
Softcover | 8.5 x 11in | 42 pages | ISBN 9781546216995
E-Book | 42 pages | ISBN 9781546217008
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Joan Romney Groves was an elementary school counselor for 23 years before retiring. She received the 2004 Utah School Counselor of the Year Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from the University of Utah and a master’s degree from Brigham Young University. She is the mother of six and the grandmother of 28. She has published “The Antique Organ and Other Stories” for the Gale History Center, as well as family histories. Nancy Romney is an artist who enjoys painting character portraits. She wants her art to tell the stories of life. Joan E. Schuller added her artistic coloring to this book.
AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry’s only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.
