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
Rulings ensure a raft of state questions await Oklahoma voters:
The Legislature voted last year to place State Question 777 on the 2016 ballot — but it only got final clearance this week. Called “Right to Farm” by supporters and “Right to Harm” by opponents, this constitutional amendment would prevent lawmakers from passing legislation to regulate agriculture unless there is a “compelling state interest” [The Oklahoman].
In divisive election year, voters agree: Infrastructure needs fixing:
Republicans and Democrats can’t seem to agree about much this election year, but one issue where they may be able to find common ground is the need to improve the nation’s infrastructure [Agri-Pulse].
STATE
Gov. Mary Fallin still plugging special session:
Gov. Mary Fallin said Tuesday she still wants a special legislative session ahead of the November elections [Tulsa World].
Supreme Court asked to order governor to return $140.8 million to state agencies:
The Oklahoma Supreme Court was asked Tuesday to order Gov. Mary Fallin to give back to state agencies $140.8 million cut from their budgets in March [The Oklahoman].
Oklahomans will be paying more in fines, fees this year:
The Oklahoma Legislature may not have raised taxes this past session, but more money will likely be coming out of your pocket to pay for government services [News9].
Oklahoma’s ‘forgotten’ poverty is endemic, and state policies for dealing with it are moving in the wrong direction (editorial):
Urban need sometimes gets more attention, but poverty is actually more endemic in Oklahoma the further you get from the cities. The state’s urban poverty rate is 11.6 percent. Rural counties average 14.2 percent poverty [Tulsa World].
MISCELLANEOUS
Why sugar beet farmers are all in on GMOs:
Younggren, who’s real first name is Dan, grows sugar beets in the Red River Valley, the largest area of sugar beet production in the U.S. About 60 percent of domestic sugar production comes from sugar beets– a fact that has started to attract attention due to consumers’ worries about GMO crops [Marketplace].
China backs GMO soybeans in push for high-tech agriculture:
China will push for the commercialisation of genetically modified soybeans over the next five years as it seeks to raise the efficiency of its agriculture sector, potentially boosting output of the crop by the world’s top soy importer and consumer [Reuters].
Antibiotics in KFC chicken ‘being reviewed’:
Activists opposed to the routine use of antibiotics in chicken at KFC submitted a shareholder resolution Monday, urging parent company Yum! Brands to follow in the footsteps of fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Panera [Louisville Courier-Journal].
Costs for agriculture production declined in 2015:
The long-term trend of growing costs for agricultural production the US may be changing, according to data released Aug. 4 by the US Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service [Powder & Bulk Solids].
