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
Trump, Pence would lift yoke of regulation, Roberts says:
Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, making a direct appeal for electing the Trump-Pence ticket, said that overregulation has made it “nearly impossible” for farmers and ranchers to do their jobs [Agri-Pulse].
Ag groups fear more anti-trade salvos at GOP convention:
Farmers and their allies who will be at the Republican National Convention are bracing for more attacks on trade policy while looking for the party’s presumptive nominee to keep up his assault on the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda [Agri-Pulse].
GOP platform takes aim at farm bill:
The GOP approved its 2016 platform Monday at the convention, and the 58-page document is pretty consistent with prior GOP attacks on the farm bill [Politico].
On trade, Trump pushes – and the GOP caves:
With precious little attention, the Republican Party’s attitude toward international trade has officially shifted. Gone is the 2012 platform’s strong endorsement of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade in general [Washington Post].
STATE
Muskogee students to stop offering sausage for fundraisers:
Officials say Muskogee school organizations cannot sell bulk sausage for fundraisers now that the sausage company is promoting the passage of the so-called “Right to Farm” ballot initiative on its packaging [Associated Press].
Oklahoma Supreme Court clears path for November vote on sales tax initiative for education:
The Oklahoma Supreme Court issued a ruling Monday that clears the way for Oklahomans to vote this November on whether to increase the state sales tax by 1 cent per dollar to pay for $5,000 teacher pay increases and other educational purposes [The Oklahoman].
MISCELLANEOUS
Ag labor and border security require balanced approach (video):
For farmers and ranchers, immigration reform must balance agriculture’s need for a dependable supply of agricultural labor with enhanced security at our nation’s border [American Farm Bureau].
Monsanto and Bayer move closer to a deal:
Monsanto is negotiating the terms of a confidentiality agreement with Bayer that would allow extensive due diligence, after Bayer raised its offer to more than $64 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday [Fortune].
Is reducing meat consumption in the U.S. possible?:
Among scientists and health experts, there seems to be a pretty solid consensus: Humans would be better off if we ate less meat [Washington Post].
How to fix our food policy: A recipe for success:
The United States grows and consumes a lot of food — and how we do it matters. Our trade policies and foreign aid influence what farmers grow from Argentina to Zambia. Eating is the most profound way we affect the world; it takes a lot of land, labor, and energy to fill 7 billion bellies [Grist].
