OKAgPolicy Today is a morning email containing the day’s top agriculture and policy headlines. The inclusion of a particular story does not equal an endorsement. Subscribe to the email here.
TOP HEADLINES
WRDA nears finish:
Sen. Jim Inhofe, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, said Thursday afternoon a deal had been reached on the Water Resources Development Act and that text of the bill would be posted imminently [Politico].
Gov. Mary Fallin says her role in Trump transition team ‘good for Oklahoma’:
The governor said she has been given an opportunity to recommend people from the state for jobs in the new administration [Tulsa World].
STATE
From closed doors to open arms, Oklahoma oil industry optimistic about business under President Trump:
Donald Trump doesn’t officially take the wheel of the nation’s energy policy for a couple of months, but Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry says its prospects have already improved under the president-elect [StateImpact Oklahoma].
Oklahoma tribes join oil and gas industry in support of Gov. Mary Fallin for interior secretary:
Gov. Mary Fallin and the state’s tribal governments have not always seen eye-to-eye, but that apparently is not preventing at least some of the tribes from giving Fallin their unreserved support for secretary of the interior in President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration [Tulsa World].
Democratic House leader eyeing 2018 governor’s race:
The Democratic leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives says he’s taking a “serious look” at running for governor in 2018 [The Oklahoman].
Legislative leaders back teacher pay raises, but differ on how to achieve them:
Legislative leaders on Thursday agreed that a teacher pay raise was needed, but differed on the details [Tulsa World].
FEDERAL
Trump’s Commerce pick: NAFTA likely starting point on Day 1:
Donald Trump’s choice for Commerce secretary says the president-elect plans on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement quickly after entering the Oval Office [The Hill].
Trump, Pence to meet with Dem Sen. Heitkamp on Friday:
Heitkamp has made bipartisan, pro-fossil-fuel energy policy a centerpiece of her first term and sits on the agriculture committee, making the Interior or Agriculture departments potential areas of overlap with the incoming administration [Politico].
USDA wants changes in nutrition fact panel for meat, poultry products:
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing to amend the nutrition labeling regulations for meat and poultry products to parallel the FDA’s final nutrition regs, which were published in May [Agri-Pulse].
MISCELLANEOUS
Colorado county board votes to ban GMO crops on public land:
The vote puts in place a transition plan to remove GMO corn and sugar beets — the only GMO crops grown locally on open space land — from public land within the next 5 years [Harvest Public Media].
What do cows want?:
It’s too bad that animals can’t tell you want they want. Or can they? [Jayson Lusk Blog]
