Ky, nation depend on agriculture. Feds should not slow down technology to help it grow.

As summer gives way to fall, farm families across Kentucky begin their annual harvest. It’s an exciting time as long months of hard work begin to pay off. It’s also our annual reminder of the invaluable contributions these men and women make for our communities and the world.

I’ve spent my life around agriculture. It started with studying agriculture economics at the University of Kentucky, continued through my work with farm stores and ag products manufacturers, and comes all the way to today where I own a landscaping business and serve on the Kentucky State House Agriculture Committee.

Kentucky farmers are the best in the world. Today, growers and producers across Kentucky harness the innovative advances in technology to get even better every day. From high-tech greenhouse systems to state-of-the-art cow and poultry monitors, Kentucky farmers depend on ever-improving Ag-Tech to increase output and maximize profit. And all of us who depend on the food they grow for our tables at home get to enjoy the benefit.

Unfortunately, there are some in Washington who don’t see these domestic technological innovations the same way. They want to create new layers of bureaucracy that would slow down the technology sector and could impact the innovations we rely on every day.

These anti-innovation proposals are bad policy that would make it harder for the people of Kentucky to compete. At a time when there are so many challenges facing Kentucky farmers, there’s no reason for Washington to add another one.

Of course, it’s not just farmers who would face the consequences of new burdensome policies coming from Washington. Every entrepreneur who uses technology—from a restaurant owner who promotes their store on social media to the mom and pop shop who sells their creations in the digital marketplace—would endure the negative impacts.

Through my work in Frankfort, I’ve talked with hardworking families across Central Kentucky about what they need. No matter what business they’re in, it’s almost always the same. They’re using new digital tools and interacting with technology to adapt to a changing marketplace. And most of all, they need government to get out of the way so their business can succeed.

Kentucky’s tech sector is growing in ways that many folks may not even realize. Advancements in industries ranging from agriculture and aerospace to healthcare and logistics are happening right here in our Commonwealth every day. In all, nearly 100,000 Kentuckians work in the tech sector. They contribute about $8 billion to our economy every year. And that number will only continue to grow in the coming years, especially as almost half of small businesses in our Commonwealth say they will deploy even more digital tools after the pandemic.

As a small business owner myself, I know firsthand how these proposals from Washington would create unintended and burdensome consequences for Kentucky. The last thing any of these entrepreneurs need is more paperwork and red tape from a heavy-handed federal regulation.

The solution is simple: Washington should abandon its unnecessary anti-tech and anti-innovation agenda that would hurt Kentucky farmers, small businesses and customers.

I’ll continue working with my colleagues in Frankfort to support farmers and small business owners as they work hard to serve their customers. We must do everything possible to help these entrepreneurs connect with their consumers. Rejecting anti-innovation proposals is a good first step.

Rep. Philip Pratt, a Georgetown Republican, is the Chair of the House Small Business and Information Technology Committee and a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

This story was originally published October 11, 2022 at 9:43 AM.