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
Plans to draw water from Sardis moving into pipeline:
Legal access to Sardis Lake is only the first step in bringing more water to the metro area, city officials said. The process will take a decade or more [Journal Record].
ELECTIONS
Early voting this week for Tuesday runoff election in Oklahoma:
Early voting is scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday for Tuesday’s runoff election, which will include 13 state legislative races and one congressional contest [The Oklahoman].
Trump names six U.S. governors as agricultural advisors:
U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump named 64 agriculture policy advisors on Tuesday, including the governors of Iowa and five other farm states and a former federal agriculture secretary [Reuters].
Several members of Trump’s agriculture committee have supported legal status for undocumented workers:
Donald Trump’s agriculture advisory committee includes members who have advocated for comprehensive immigration reform that would give unauthorized workers a path to legal status, a position that runs counter to Trump’s call for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants [Washington Post].
FEDERAL
Rural fire departments secure grant money from state ag department:
In the midst of state budget cuts, hundreds of rural Oklahoma fire departments just got some good news. About $3.3 million in grant money is about to be spread out amongst 861 fire departments [News On 6].
Vilsack ‘hopeful’ about future for beginning farmers, ranchers:
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack awarded almost $18 million in funding for projects impacting beginning farmers and ranchers on the heels of a roundtable discussion in his home state with producers who are just getting started [Agri-Pulse].
FDA updates Nutrition Facts label:
This update is the latest in a long list of programs the Food and Drug Administration has implemented since 1994 to combat the obesity epidemic in the United States. The redesigned Nutrition Facts label will better reflect the eating habits of the current population [High Plains Journal].
Monsanto gives Bayer limited access to its books:
U.S. seed company Monsanto has given German suitor Bayer AG limited access to its books after turning down a sweetened $64 billion takeover offer last month, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters [Reuters].
