TOP HEADLINES
Drought once again a concern in Oklahoma:
With full awareness that words can do nothing to create (or stop) the rains, we note with sadness that dryer times are here again. But not everywhere — and not in all the usual places [NewsOK].
House panel sets stage for farm bill, Labor pick gets hearing:
The House Agriculture Committee this week begins laying the groundwork for writing a new farm bill, while Senate Republicans gear up for a fight over another cabinet nominee important to agriculture, Andrew Puzder, President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Labor Department [Agri-Pulse].
STATE
Political State Podcast: First week of session and the budget battle:
This week, The Oklahoman’s Ben Felder and Dale Denwalt are joined by Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang, to discuss the first week of the 2017 legislative session [NewsOK].
Instead of building bonfires, why doesn’t the Oklahoma Legislature plant some trees? (opinion):
Speaker Charles McCall and Pro Tem Mike Schulz both have said they wanted to bring a “long-term perspective” to the minds of their fellow lawmakers. Long-term thinking says that a wise man plants trees whose shade he may never get to enjoy. Short-term thinking says, “Let’s build a bonfire” [Tulsa World].
FEDERAL
How Trump could trigger a bust in the American West:
Many American industries have celebrated the decision to withdraw from the TPP. But America’s farmers and ranchers — perhaps the world’s most advanced agricultural sector, and one that exports roughly one-fifth of everything it produces — generally do not agree [Washington Post].
Trump, Abe vow to improve US-Japan trade relationship:
In a joint White House news conference , President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed the importance of improving trade ties between the two countries, a welcome sign for the agriculture sector, which is still reeling from the loss of the Trans-Pacific Partnership [Agri-Pulse].
The next Agriculture Secretary could be great for agribusinesses:
Prior to serving as a governor to Georgia, Perdue had a career in the agriculture business, and he’s looking to guarantee American producers aren’t at a disadvantage to international agreements [Forbes].
Lesson #1: Every farm bill is unique – the last one was a doozy:
The process for writing what was expected to be the 2012 farm bill started in a fairly routine way: staff discussions, member meetings and hearings to gather input from farmers and consumers [Agri-Pulse].
Cotton growers expand amid search for federal aid:
Growers are expected to plant 11 million acres of cotton this year, a 9.4 percent increase from 2016, amid continued hopes that Congress or the Trump administration will heed their pleas for new price supports [Agri-Pulse].
Trump undertakes most ambitious regulatory rollback since Reagan:
After just a few weeks in office, the new administration is targeting dozens of Obama-era policies, using both legislative and executive tactics [Washington Post].
