Ranchers Oppose Brand Law Changes, Increased Fees

By Noelle Annonen

Ranchers traveled from across Nebraska to oppose suggested changes to brand laws, including proposed fee increases and brand committee changes.

This comes as ranchers across the state are grappling with wildfires that have ravaged more than 800,000 acres of Nebraska land.

Sen. Barry DeKay proposed a bill that would make changes to laws that some feel are outdated. The western two-thirds of the state is in what’s known as a branding area. Calves are branded with distinct patterns to avoid thefts and herd mixups. When they change ownership, ranchers must pay a brand inspector.

The agency that oversees brand inspections is the Nebraska Brand Committee, which also serves as law enforcement for beef producers across the state. But feedlots in the eastern portion of the state do not have to have brand inspections. Some ranchers don’t see the need for the inspections.

The bill would expand the brand committee from five to seven members and include representatives from across the state, even from outside of the branding area.

“It is apparent that there is resistance within the committee, within our legislature and within the segments of our livestock industry to giving the brand committee additional fee authority without broader reforms to the brand law,” DeKay said.