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
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe: My argument for State Question 777, the Right to Farm:
Oklahoma needs tools at our disposal – tools like SQ 777 — to tell liberals in Washington and those on the outside to stay out of our farming and ranching practices [Tulsa World].
AG Scott Pruitt says ‘Right to Farm’ won’t eliminate state water regulation:
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said Tuesday it is “simply not true” that a much-disputed state question would eliminate state regulation of water quality [Tulsa World].
Right to Farm state question ‘misunderstood’:
Tom Buchanan, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, says the language of SQ 777, the “Right to Farm” state question states voters can vote on Nov. 8, is misunderstood [Red Dirt Report].
FEDERAL
Problems with feds’ broad ban on ‘take’ of species:
But the larger concern for Oklahomans is the lesser prairie chicken. Although the prior listing of this species was struck down by a federal court, environmentalists haven’t given up. They’ve filed a new petition to have the species relisted as threatened. If that happens, the burdensome regulation could automatically apply to the species and its habitat, without any consideration to the impacts on Oklahoma property owners [The Oklahoman].
ELECTIONS
Kaine votes run afoul of farm policy critics:
Tim Kaine’s Senate votes on trade, crop insurance and catfish inspection put the Democratic vice presidential candidate at odds with critics of U.S. farm and food policy, according to a congressional scorecard released Monday [Agri-Pulse].
Agricultural policy in the 2016 election and its effect on farmers:
Agricultural policy influences key issues and impacts the overall prosperity of the United States. Two leading issues on both the debate stage and the farm are international trade and immigration [Buffalo Reflex].
MISCELLANEOUS
Endorsement: Yes on Question 3:
But to the greatest practical extent, shouldn’t humane treatment mean letting pigs be pigs, and chickens be chickens, without imposing obvious and unnecessary suffering from confinement? For the price of a movie ticket, Massachusetts voters can help nudge the nation’s farms into treating the animals we rely on every day with a minimal level of compassion [Boston Globe].
