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
Inhofe on SQ 777, right to farm and Donald Trump:
Inhofe said he was so concerned about the effect of overregulation on family farmers and the influence of outside groups, like the Humane Society of America, that he suggested the Farm Bureau take up the issue. “The villains here are the Humane Society of the United States and all the animal rights people who nest with them,” Inhofe said [Ada News].
Right to Farm is right for Oklahoma:
The following article was written as an op-ed by Rick Stubblefield, Adair County Elected Representative of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission. “The last time Drew Edmondson used “water quality” as a slogan to raise political donations he was campaigning to be governor of Oklahoma. He did raise a few hundred thousand dollars. But Oklahoma Democrats were not interested in Edmondson and showed him the door in the primaries [Oklahoma Farm Report].
Public forum to focus on farming question:
Oklahoma Watch, a nonprofit media organization, will hold a public forum Thursday on the controversial State Question 777, which would amend the state Constitution to give the agricultural industry extra legal protection [Enid News & Eagle].
ELECTIONS
Oklahoma remains among reddest of states, voter numbers show:
The Republican Party continues to build its lead over the Democratic Party in voter registration, according to the latest numbers from the Oklahoma Election Board, which also confirms Republicans are requesting and returning more absentee ballots [NewsOK].
Trump solidifies lead in Oklahoma, poll shows:
Just two weeks before Election Day, Donald Trump’s lead continues to solidify in Oklahoma, a new poll shows [The Oklahoman].
FEDERAL
House, Senate expected to prepare final WRDA bill for lame duck:
With the Senate and House each passing its own version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (S. 2848 , H.R. 5303), staff members from both chambers are expected to work during the October recess to negotiate a final bill Congress can approve after the election and send to the president for his signature [FB News].
Trade matters:
While trade has no doubt has some deleterious effects on certain kinds of manufacturing jobs, these data make it quite clear that if you’re a wheat or cotton farmer, trade is a very big deal. Most of their customers reside outside the United States [Jayson Lusk Blog].
MISCELLANEOUS
Measure M faces out-of-state opposition funding:
Citizens for Healthy Farms and Families announced that Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer, BASF, and DuPont have arrived in Sonoma County to fight Measure M on the November 8 ballot. Measure M is a local ballot measure to prohibit growing GMO’s [Sonoma County Gazette].
California eyes more Sacramento River water for fish, less for farms, cities:
Signaling a cutback in water supplies for farming and cities, California regulators on Wednesday issued a new scientific analysis that proposes overhauling the management of the Sacramento River and devoting more water to Northern California’s dwindling fish populations [Sacramento Bee].
Food companies target water risks in global supply chains:
Seven major food companies today announced commitments to work with thousands of growers in their global supply chains to reduce water use and pollution impacts [Agri-Pulse].
