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: Protecting farmers (letter to the editor):
With Right to Farm, the state can continue putting forward proper safeguards for its residents, while our constitution will protect our farmers and ranchers from being unnecessarily over-regulated as a result of external pressures and big-money liberal campaigns [The Oklahoman].
State questions highlight candidate differences, voter demographics:
Polls indicate larger support among Republicans than Democrats, and even though the state Democratic Party is officially against SQ 777, Brinegar said he will be voting for it. “For a lot of people down here they view this issue as about their livelihood,” Brinegar said. “Down here it’s not really a Democrat or Republican issue” [NewsOK].
STATE
Another gigantic budget hole is forming for the state (editorial):
Unless there’s a very sudden and unexpected turnaround in the state’s economy, the Oklahoma Legislature will again be staring at a gaping appropriations problem from Day 1 when it convenes early next year [Tulsa World].
Hunger issues remain a concern in northwest Oklahoma:
Oklahoma has frightening statistics related to poverty and hunger amidst its population of 3,795,764 residents. According to the Center for American Progress, 610,828 Oklahomans were living in poverty in 2015, which contributed to hunger and disease [Woodward News].
FEDERAL
US, EU negotiators confront ag trade barriers in T-TIP talks:
U.S. and EU negotiators say they spent a good chunk of time during Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks this week seeking agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, some of which are keeping some U.S. beef, pork and poultry out of Europe [Agri-Pulse].
White House initiative aims to diversify ag workforce:
The public and private sectors are being called upon to increase diversity in the agricultural workforce. A new White House initiative will seek to create programs and partnerships to entice different segments of the population into ag and science careers [Agri-Pulse].
MISCELLANEOUS
Food executives say consumers want labels on GMO products:
Consumers’ desire for deeper transparency into how food is made will continue pushing food companies to label ingredients made from genetically engineered crops, company executives said [Wall Street Journal].
Why industrial farms are good for the environment:
There is much to like about small, local farms and their influence on what we eat. But if we are to sustainably deal with problems presented by population growth and climate change, we need to look to the farmers who grow a majority of the country’s food and fiber [New York Times].
