Kratovil to agriculture committee
Freshman Rep. Frank Kratovil has won a seat on the House Agriculture committee, making him the first Marylander in decades to sit on that panel.
Maryland isn't considered a farm state, but Kratovil, a Democrat, represents a district that takes in the Eastern Shore, home to the state's four largest farming counties. It is also a base for the Maryland poultry industry, which ranked 14th nationally in a 2007 Agriculture Department report.
Kratovil's predecessors in the First District seat held positions on House committees that dealt with the environment and merchant marine affairs. His selection to the Agriculture panel was announced today by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Kratovil, a Stevensville lawyer before his upset victory last November, has called for more federal resources to reduce the flow of pollution into Chesapeake Bay. Runoff of chicken manure from poultry farms has been the focus of a long-running conflict between the industry and environmental regulators.
-- Paul West
