Legislative Day 2024: PMPs Have Their Voices Heard on the Hill

WASHINGTON – While there were many new issues at this year’s NPMA Legislative Day, held this past week in Washington, D.C., the main rallying point was a familiar one: making legislators aware of the importance of codifying state lead agencies as co-regulators (along with EPA) of pesticides.

NPMA and others have long argued that pest control oversight is best handled jointly by each state’s lead agency and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NPMA is joined in its support of pesticide preemption legislation by the Agricultural Retailers Association; American Mosquito Control Association; the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America; and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Currently, in 45 states the lead agency (which is usually each state’s department of agriculture) co-regulates pesticides with EPA through longstanding cooperative agreements.

PMPs who operate in states without preemption (Alaska, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Nevada) are burdened with having to comply with different laws and regulations in each of the communities they service. Additionally, NPMA and others are concerned that states with preemption will repeal or roll back the preemption they currently have in place.

As previously reported by PCT, this Congress intends to re-authorize the Farm Bill, which includes language to codify the role of state lead agencies as co-regulators of pesticides alongside EPA.

The goal of Legislative Day visits was for pest management professionals to remind their congressional representatives that codifying the exclusive role of state lead agencies as pesticide co-regulators with EPA is crucial to protecting American health, food and property from pests.

Other highlights from Legislative Day included:

FMC’s Dan Carrothers presented the Policy Person of the Year Award to Dwight Reynolds, group compliance manager for the Western U.S. at Rentokil Terminix. Reynolds, a 30-year pest control industry veteran, has served in various leadership roles in both Arkansas Pest Management Association and NPMA, including serving on the Board of Directors for APMA, and on the Public Policy Committee for NPMA.

FMC’s Allan Dufoe presented the 2024 David Cooksey PestVet of the Year Award to Jeff Keller of Burns Pest Elimination. A 20-year veteran of the pest management industry as well as a veteran of the U.S. Army, Keller served as a transportation operations specialist, an airborne and pathfinder, and an AIT instructor/writer. Keller has been a pioneer in developing programs with NPMA and his state association to connect veterans to careers in pest control and assisted in NPMA become officially approved as a Department of Defense SkillBridge Partner. He’s also has helped launch numerous philanthropic efforts with his PestVets state unit and was integral in partnering with Forgotten Not Gone to raise over $70,000 for veterans at PestWorld in 2021.

PCT presented the 2023 Technician of the Year Awards to Matt Hall, Rottler Pest Solutions, Chesterfield, Mo. (residential);  Tom Kuligoski, Rose Pest Solutions, Saginaw, Mich. (commercial) and Marvin Dalton, Accel Pest & Termite Control, Virginia Beach, Va. (termite). PCT then presented the results from this year's annual research program, which was done in partnership with NPMA and with sponsorship from BASF. This year’s research project was “Benchmarking Your Business 2.0.” We surveyed our readers to compile updated data and fresh PCO perspectives on how they are managing expenses (e.g., labor, materials, acquiring customers) and what they see as potential growth opportunities. The goal was to create updated industry standards for revenue growth, profit margins, expense ratios and more.

Also at the Monday FMC-sponsored luncheon, attendees were treated to a good-natured debate between Mo Elleithee (D), executive director at the Institute of Politics and Public Service, and political commentator Chris Stirewalt (R). The upcoming Presidential election was top of mind for both Elleithee and Stirewalt. In Stirewalt’s opinion,  the winner of the election will be the person who has been in the news less. “Basically, Donald Trump could win another term if they put him in carbonite like Hans Solo,” he joked. Elleithee disagreed, noting that the public has different reasons for not liking each candidate. For Biden it is age. “People look at him, they think he looks frail. They wonder whether or not he's up for the job anymore.” He said his advice to the Biden campaign would be to get Biden on the road - and out of Washington – where he could be seen being energized by crowds.

Presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky spoke in a Monday afternoon session sponsored by Corteva, on what the nation's Founding Fathers' views of today's political climate would look like. She writes columns regularly for Washington Monthly and Governing, and regularly provides historical context to journalists on current events at publications including The Washington Post, Associated Press, New York Times, and Fast Company. Weak political parties are one topic the founders would not be surprised is happening in our political system, but one thing Chervinsky said they would view differently is how the government operates. "They didn't want things to move too fast, but they wanted it to be effective. That's why the constitution was written," she said. "They would be surprised that there is relatively little getting done in Congress [right now]." The founders demonstrated how to "get stuff done," Chervinsky said in her keynote. She also noted the U.S. Constitution is the longest lasting national constitution in the world. "We tend to reach back to this moment, but I think it's more impressive when we think of a flawed group doing extraordinary things."

In Tuesday morning's Control Solutions, Inc.-sponsored session, Matt Lewis, senior columnist for the Daily Beast and author of several political books, discussed the current political climate, did a deep dive on the upcoming presidential election and how party divisions could decide the race. Lewis said a growing sense of tribalism plays a significant role in party divisions. Back in earlier political days, partisan animosity was really low, especially among Republicans. In the mid 1990s, only 12 percent of Republicans held a negative view of Democrats. Today, it's near 60 percent, Lewis said, and the trend is happening in both parties.

At MGK’s Headquarters on the Hill Luncheon, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) was the guest speaker. Kaine shared three issues he is working on that he believes can help, either directly or indirectly, the labor challenge: (1) making Pell grants available for vocational training (2) immigration reform – Kaine reminded that bringing in immigrants helps bolster the workforce, especially as the U.S. population ages; and (3) making child care more affordable. Kaine was introduced by Dodson Pest Control President and CEO Bert Dodson, who also is a former Lynchburg, Va., councilman. The two became acquainted and friends through their political service in Virginia.