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
House clears water infrastructure bill:
Shortly before leaving Washington for the year, the House of Representatives approved legislation to invest in port and waterway improvements [Agri-Pulse].
Oklahoma AG Scott Pruitt’s nomination promises welcome change at EPA:
But the reason for those activists’ distress is cause for cheer among the broad public: Pruitt respects the law, defers to constitutional limits and will champion common sense in regulatory deliberations. That will be in marked contrast to the past eight years [The Oklahoman].
FEDERAL
House passes water bill with Flint aid, drought relief:
In one of the House’s last acts of the year, the chamber easily passed a major water bill on Thursday that includes emergency aid for Flint, Mich., and boosts U.S. ports, dams and waterways [The Hill].
Temporary U.S. government funding bill hits snag in Senate:
By a vote of 326-96, the House passed the legislation that is now before the Senate where it has encountered opposition from Democrats who are upset over the refusal by Republicans to include a long-term extension of expiring healthcare benefits for retired coal miners and their families [Reuters].
Pruitt vows to protect environment, business freedom:
Saying billions of dollars are being drained from the economy by undue environmental regulation, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt expressed pleasure Friday at being selected to lead the federal agency that has been a target of his lawsuits for years [The Oklahoman].
Former Arkansas AG: Scott Pruitt ‘will restore a notion of rule of law to EPA’:
Dustin McDaniel, who served as the Democratic Attorney General of Arkansas, speaks about Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma Attorney General and Donald Trump’s pick to head the EPA. “I know that Scott Pruitt will restore a notion of rule of law to the EPA,” he said on CNN Thursday [Real Clear Politics].
Trump just wrapped up a nice double gift to the meat industry:
One major advocate just took over the EPA; another will handle relations with China [Mother Jones].
Fast-food chief who touts immigrant workers gets Labor nod:
President-elect Donald Trump has selected fast-food executive Andy Puzder to run the Labor Department, which oversees OSHA, enforces wage rules and manages guest-worker programs on which many farms and others in the food industry rely [Agri-Pulse].
STATE
McCall names House leaders:
House of Representatives Speaker-designate Charles A. McCall today announced the first round of leadership appointments to serve during the 56th Legislature, naming the majority floor leader, majority whip, budget chair and majority leader [McCarville Report].
Oklahoma economist suggests ways to pay for teacher raises:
Support for giving Oklahoma’s teachers a raise is high, but proposals on how to pay for it are in short supply [Public Radio Tulsa].
