The Journal Gazette – The Senate voted 90-8 on Thursday to proceed to debate on renewing the farm bill.

The legislation would reauthorize federal agriculture and nutrition programs through 2017.

Sens. Dan Coats, R-Ind.; Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, voted in favor of advancing the bill to amendments and debate.

S. 3240 contains many provisions of legislation introduced last year by Lugar and Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-2nd – chief among them replacing direct payments to farmers with subsidized insurance to cover revenue losses from drops in crop yields and prices.