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.
FAMILY FARMERS OR LIBERAL POLITICIANS? YOU CHOOSE
When it comes to agriculture in Oklahoma, who do you trust? Family farmers and ranchers, or liberal politicians? Left-leaning politicians want to take away your guns, and now they want to take away your food [OKAgPolicy].
TOP HEADLINES
Blue & Gold Sausage Co. abandons wrapper promoting SQ777:
A company that produces and packages a popular bulk sausage sold throughout the state for fundraisers for schools and other organizations vacated a plan to promote passage of a controversial state question on its packaging [Muskogee Phoenix].
OFB speaks to locals about SQ 777:
A representative from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau spoke to the Duncan Noon Lions Club about why the OFB was in favor of State Question 777 passing in November [Duncan Banner].
Right to Farm or Harm? The basics:
Odds are you’ve heard of State Question 777, also know by supporters as Right to Farm and detractors as Right to Harm. But even if you have heard about it, you may not know what it’s about. Below, we’ll break down the basics of SQ 777 [Norman Transcript].
ELECTIONS
Clinton taps Kaine as running mate, passing over Vilsack:
Hillary Clinton has chosen Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate, passing over Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack who reportedly was on her short list almost up to the last minute [Agri-Pulse].
Farm, food issues not top priority for Philadelphia Democrats:
Thousands of Democrats will crowd Philadelphia this week to nominate Hillary Clinton for president, adopt a platform and – even with the prominence of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in her vice presidential sweepstakes – hold their quadrennial convention with hardly a second thought given to food and agricultural matters [Agri-Pulse].
Trump ag advisors signal candidate flexibility on trade, immigration:
Donald Trump’s agricultural advisers are signaling some flexibility on his trade and immigration plans and offering agribusiness leaders a chance to have influence on his farm policy if they get behind his campaign [Agri-Pulse].
FEDERAL
Feds withdraw ‘threatened’ status of lesser prairie chicken (editorial):
No one wants the bird to disappear, but neither should the effected areas starve for economic development because of incompletely considered dictates from Washington. If legitimate science, which takes into account all the efforts to preserve the bird, shows the bird needs protection, so be it. Until then, the bureaucrats and their rules will have to wait [Tulsa World].
Are farm subsidies making us fat?:
In the past couple weeks, there have been a number of popular press articles suggesting that farm subsidies are a big part of the reason Americans eat unhealthy and are overweight. But, as we should all know by now, correlation is not causation [Jayson Lusk Blog].
Family farmers need the Trans-Pacific Partnership:
For five generations, my family has been proud to raise corn and soybeans in Central Illinois. Protecting and growing the market for my crops is critical to my bottom line – and that helps ensure sixth and subsequent generations of the Reed family can be farmers, too, if they choose [Bloomington Pantagraph].
MISCELLANEOUS
Will the Delta tunnels get built? Plan enters crucial make-or-break phase:
Still swirling in controversy, Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed $15.5 billion re-engineering of the troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is heading into a critical phase over the next year that could well decide if the project comes to fruition [Sacramento Bee].
