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
Vilsack stumps for Hillary in Philadelphia (audio):
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack skipped last night’s session of the Democratic convention to give an impassioned plea for agriculture leaders to support Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump [Agri-Pulse].
FEDERAL
GMO food labeling good for consumers:
Federal legislation approved earlier this month requiring food labels to indicate if a product contains genetically modified ingredients is a positive step in the right direction, though the information won’t be found on labels for at least two years [San Antonio Express-News].
When will food be on politicians’ plates?:
Even though the cultural conversation around food and agriculture seems to grow louder every day, the American food system was on the sidelines here last week, as it is at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week. Even among those most likely to push for it, food isn’t getting much attention as a political issue [New York Times].
Open mic with Sen. Amy Kobuchar:
In this week’s interview, Senator Klobuchar challenges suggestions that nutrition programs be separated from the farm bill, discusses the need for global trade and offers specific reasons why the Cuban embargo must be lifted [Agri-Pulse].
STATE
Oklahoma wind farm construction continues as state ranks 4th in U.S.:
Oklahoma has 5,453 megawatts of wind capacity installed, after adding 270 megawatts in the first quarter. The state continued to rank fourth in the nation for installed wind capacity, following Texas, Iowa and California. Nationally, more than 49,000 turbines are installed, representing 74,821 megawatts of capacity [The Oklahoman].
Lawmakers: New stabilization fund will help with future Oklahoma budgeting:
The Legislature is often rightfully criticized for its lack of long-term planning. However, in the case of HB 2763 and the creation of the Revenue Stabilization Fund, we feel strongly that something has been put in place that will benefit Oklahoma for the rest of its days [The Oklahoman].
ELECTIONS
Tom Vilsack on the state of the 2016 campaign (video):
Secretary of Agriculture and former governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack joins CBSN with insight on the Clinton-Kaine ticket and Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric [CBS News].
RNC convention highlights need for immigration reform (editorial):
At times, Donald Trump’s comments about illegal immigrants have been extremely broad and unduly harsh. But give his campaign team credit for this much: At the Republican National Convention, they effectively used the personal stories of a broad range of Americans to highlight severe flaws in the current immigration system [The Oklahoman].
