The Florida Senate on Wednesday cut in half the amount of money it would put into a new emergency fund that critics called a “blank check” for Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to the News Service of Florida, the Senate overwhelmingly approved two bills (SB 96 and SB 98) that would shift $500 million of general revenue into the pot of …
National Cotton Council Focusing on Two Regulatory Issues
The National Cotton Council (NCC) is starting off 2022 with a focus on regulatory issues that will impact not only U.S. cotton farmers, but agriculture as a whole. NCC Vice President of Washington Operations, Reece Langley, says they have been doing a lot of work on two key issues. Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New GroundJuly 15, 2024CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2024TriEst …
Florida Senators Back $1B Emergency Fund for DeSantis
(TALLAHASSEE/NSF/January 12, 2022) — Florida Senators revived a proposal Wednesday to create a $1 billion fund that Gov. Ron DeSantis could use at his discretion during emergencies he declares. The Senate Appropriations Committee backed a pair of bills (SB 96 and SB 98), sponsored by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, to set up an “Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund” so the …
Ballot Initiatives Being Discussed in Florida Legislative Session
(NSF/January 11, 2022) — Legislation filed at the state capitol last week would restrict subjects that could be included in ballot initiatives. The measure will be considered during the 2022 legislative session that starts today. The proposal comes after years of attempts by the GOP-controlled Legislature to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments through the citizens’ initiative process. Under …
Changes to Clean Water Rule Will Hurt Family Farms
(WASHINGTON, January 5, 2022) — Farming members of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) will participate in a roundtable on Thursday, Jan. 6, to discuss the impact of the proposal to repeal and replace the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR). The event is hosted by the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy. The Biden administration recently proposed a “step …
Agriculture Department and Justice Department Issue Shared Principles and Commitments to Protect Against Unfair and Anticompetitive Practices
(WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2022) — Speaking at a White House event focused on competition in agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed their shared commitment to effectively enforcing federal competition laws that protect farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural producers and growers from unfair and anticompetitive practices, including the antitrust laws and the Packers and Stockyards …
Agriculture Waits for Big Decisions on Supreme Court Cases
This first week of 2022 could be a big one for several agricultural groups and stakeholders. The Supreme Court will likely hear several high-stakes cases that could affect America’s farmers and ranchers. A DTN report says the court recently distributed three of four agriculture cases scheduled for a January 7 conference. Those high-profile petitions include challenges to California’s Prop 12, …
New H-2A Labor Wages Effective Dec. 29
A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …
Legislators Want Grapefruit Decision Reversed
Members of the Florida and Texas congressional delegations recently urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to administratively suspend juice content standards for imported grapefruit. The delegations also requested information regarding the circumstances of the suspension, which was allegedly made without a proper rulemaking process, and for which Congress was not notified. The request was led by …
USDA to Issue Final Pandemic Payments for Timber Harvesters and Haulers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will start issuing final pandemic assistance payments to timber harvesters and timber hauling businesses through the Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program next week. Overall, $200 million will be provided to loggers and log trucking businesses who experienced a gross revenue loss of at least 10% during the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. …