The Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee met Wednesday, March 11 where it unanimously passed a bill that would lift F4 farm tag purchase limits.

SB103 now moves to a vote by the full Senate.

Sen. Clay Scofield, R-Arab, sponsored SB103 and said lifting the tag purchase limit is a question of fairness.

"Farmers are only using (F4 farm tag trucks) when they're getting their grain to market, and that's usually only four months out of the year," Scofield said. "So why should farmers have to buy the same tag at the same cost as someone from a trucking company that uses that (X9) tag year round?"

F4 farm tags for trucks over 42,001 pounds cost $250, while X9 truck tags for trucks over 80,000 pounds cost as much as $890. The F4 farm tag is the only tag limited for purchase in the state of Alabama.

Blount County peanut, cotton, grain and poultry farmer Jimmy Miller, who attended the public hearing, said passage of SB103 is critical.

"It's very important to us because we need more than one tractor when we're hauling grain or hauling peanuts," Miller said. "It's a unit (we) use three to four months out of the year and it's just not feasible to buy X9 tags for that. The second thing that I think is most important is safety on the roads."

Miller said having multiple trucks using F4 farm tags would allow farmers to spread loads more evenly when hauling commodities. Miller's nephew and Young Farmers Committee Vice Chairman Lance Miller also attended the public hearing.

The bill's House companion, HB217, sponsored by Rep. Alan Boothe, R-Troy, has been assigned to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Commitee.

The Alabama Farmers Federation supports passage of SB103 and HB217.