Whaley takes over Senate Agriculture Committee

Third term state senator, Neil Whaley is the new Mississippi Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman. Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann appointed Senator Whaley this week to the post left open as Senator Chuck Younger moves to chair the Senate’s Transportation Committee.

Whaley and his father run an auto parts store in Potts Camp, Mississippi, but he also raises cattle, however Whaley’s family has farmed North Mississippi for generations.

“I’m seventh-generation agriculturist. My family moved into the area in North Mississippi in the 1840s. I’m deeply rooted in agriculture, one that I carry on today with my children. So just passing that on, I think, is crucial to the future of agriculture in the state,” said Whaley.

Whaley believes working several jobs gives him insight into what many farmers and ranchers in Mississippi do every day.

“Having the realization of what the farmers go through every day and what it takes to make it, realizing that a number of them have to have all farm occupations, I’d like to do anything that I can to try to help alleviate that in the future. We’re going to be looking at some things going forward in the future,” said Whaley.

Whaley says taxes will be his first order of business.

“I think tax policy is one thing that everybody can agree with it as agriculturists that we need help with. So, we’re going to be looking at that. I’ve been talking to some of the members of my committee already on that, so we’re very excited about that,” said Whaley.  “We plan to make this a working committee. We’re going to work real hard and spend the year trying to figure out where we need to go from here.”

Whaley is proud to work with Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation to pass meaningful legislation that will help farmers and ranchers across the state, but also, advocate for the number one industry in Mississippi.

“Farm Bureau has been a wonderful partner for me in the legislature. They let me know what the people in rural Mississippi are thinking, what they need help with, and that’s very vital,” said Whaley. “Me coming from that, I know a lot about that, but there are a lot of members of the legislature that don’t live this life. So, Farm Bureau is critical for us to be able to work things through the process, so I appreciate everything Farm Bureau does.”