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
OK representatives encourage CA farmers to relocate:
These Representatives today started sending out invitations to farmers and ranchers in California to consider relocating to Oklahoma. This is due to recent legislation in California that will push family farms out of business by unnecessary statutes and agency rules [KSWO].
Inhofe pledges to fast-track Oklahoma’s tribal water deal through Congress:
Oklahoma officials and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations spent 5 years hammering out a deal to share control of water across southeast Oklahoma, but coming to an agreement isn’t the end of the process. A fickle U.S. Congress still has to give its approval [StateImpact Oklahoma].
STATE
Oklahoma cities resolutions against proposed state sales tax raises questions:
Councils in Edmond, Midwest City, Kingfisher and several other cities have passed similar resolutions asking voters to join their opposition. But those resolutions have drawn questions about whether they violate state law, which prohibits public officials from using taxpayer funds to oppose or support a state ballot initiative [NewsOK].
State offices make big plans for share of $140M refund:
Come Tuesday, each state agency will get its share of a $140.8 million refund. The money was emptied from their respective budgets last spring, as state officials facing a $1.3 billion shortfall took drastic action to balance the government checkbook [Claremore Progress].
When self-interests and scare resources collide (editorial):
People naturally look out for their own interests. At the same time, politics is all about the allocation of scarce resources. When one good cause gets more funding, another gets less. The difficult job of any lawmaker is to set priorities and balance needs [The Oklahoman].
FEDERAL
Appeals court sides with farm groups on CAFO info:
EPA violated the Freedom of Information Act by releasing personal information, including phone numbers and email addresses, of the owners of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), a federal appeals court ruled today [Agri-Pulse].
Kansas senator calls TPP trade deal crucial – but it’s mired in presidential politics:
Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts says the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is crucial for farmers wanting access to new and growing markets. But in the midst of the presidential campaign the deal faces an uphill battle [KMUW].
Mandatory GMO labels are coming to your cereal aisle: What you need to know:
After years of battling state-by-state efforts to label genetically modified organisms, the country’s biggest food companies finally found one plan they can get behind [Sacramento Bee].
The next president should make infrastructure a spending priority:
The issue now is not whether the United States should invest more in infrastructure but what the policy framework should be. Here are the important questions and my answers [Washington Post].
