TOP HEADLINES
Senate chairman meets Trump’s EPA nominee:
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), whose committee is responsible for considering the nomination, said he “enjoyed” meeting with Scott Pruitt, the current attorney general of Oklahoma who has been an outspoken opponent of numerous high-profile regulations from President Obama’s EPA [The Hill].
Paul Ryan re-elected as House speaker Tuesday:
Paul Ryan was easily re-elected Speaker of the House of the 115th Congress, following a vote in the chamber Tuesday [CNN].
TRUMP TRANSITION
Farmers wait for word from D.C.:
We are less than three weeks away from Donald Trump taking office, but rural America is still groping for answers about what the new administration has in store for agriculture [Yankton Daily Press].
Former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado emerging as front-runner for Trump’s agriculture secretary:
Former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado is the front-runner to head the US Departure of Agriculture, a source familiar with the transition process told CNN Tuesday [CNN].
With choice of trade negotiator, Trump prepares to confront Mexico and China:
President-elect Donald J. Trump on Tuesday named as his chief trade negotiator a Washington lawyer who has long advocated protectionist policies, the latest sign that Mr. Trump intends to fulfill his campaign promise to get tough with China, Mexico and other trading partners [New York Times].
Methane’s on the rise, but regulations to stop gas leaks still debated:
Trump has said that environmental regulations drive up the cost of doing business and kill jobs; his choice to head the EPA, Scott Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, has made similar claims that the agency has a history of overly regulating oil and gas companies [NPR].
STATE
OK House schedules agency, budget hearings in House chamber:
House Speaker Charles-elect A. McCall said the hearings will give citizens and lawmakers – particularly the 32 new members of the House – valuable insight into how agencies develop programs and spend taxpayer dollars and will help lawmakers develop funding priorities earlier than usual [The Okie].
Even gasoline tax may get a look to help deal with Oklahoma budget crunch:
At 17 cents per gallon, Oklahoma’s tax on gasoline is among the lowest in the country and it hasn’t changed in 30 years. As policymakers look for ways to raise revenue during an economic downturn that has hammered the state budget, the tax may get a close look this year [The Oklahoman].
Psst! Do you want to find $1 billion for Oklahoma schools?:
The point is that if the state wants to put together monetary resources to create a huge fund to support education, it will be complicated, politically difficult and controversial … but possible [NonDoc].
Oklahoma slips to 47th in nation on annual educational quality ranking:
Oklahoma received a D+ grade and slipped one place to 47th overall among the 50 states and District of Columbia in Education’s Week’s annual rankings of education quality indicators [Tulsa World].
MISCELLANEOUS
A quick primer on U.S. agricultural trade:
After lying largely dormant for the last few years, US trade policy is now back in the spotlight. In particular, concerns have been raised about our trade relations with Mexico and China, who together are the market for almost one-third of total U.S. agricultural exports. Given this recent scrutiny, I thought it would be useful to review the current state of trade in US agriculture [Pork Network].
Agriculture commodity traders see a good 2017, despite possible demand risks:
Key agricultural commodities hit multiyear lows last year after several years of strong harvests, but some experts have a mildly optimistic outlook for 2017 [CNBC].
