Farm-state lawmakers prod EPA chief on biofuels and WOTUS
The Biden administration is turning a cold shoulder to biofuels and rural America by encouraging the use of electric vehicles, said farm-state Republicans during a complaint-filled House hearing with EPA administrator Michael Regan on Wednesday. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon pointed to the so-called WOTUS rule on wetlands protections and declared, “Any goodwill the administration has built with farmers and ranchers is gone.”
Carbon pipelines’ fate still uncertain in Iowa
An Iowa House bill that would restrict the use of eminent domain for carbon capture pipelines in the state is effectively dead until the next session, in 2024, after the Senate late last month failed to advance it ahead of a legislative deadline. That leaves the issue for now with the Iowa Utilities Board, which can rule on eminent domain requests.
Farm bill chair Thompson supports cuts in food stamps
House Republican leaders unveiled a 320-page bill that would cut federal spending by $130 billion in the new fiscal year, including wider application of a 90-day limit on SNAP benefits to people working less than 20 hours a week. Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson said the leadership’s bill “is a sensible proposal” to rein in federal spending.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Support for Ukraine: At their meeting this weekend, G7 agriculture ministers are expected to send a strong message of support for the Black Sea grain initiative that allows the export of Ukrainian grain, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
Indiana is HPAI-free: Indiana, one of the first states to be hit by highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2022, has been recognized as HPAI-free by the World Organization for Animal Health. (Indiana Board of Animal Health)
Missouri curb on farmland: The Missouri Senate passed and sent to the House legislation to permit no more than 0.5 percent of agricultural land in the state to be owned by foreigners, down from the current ceiling of 1 percent. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
‘Jungle primary’ shelved: A Montana House committee set aside legislation that would allow only the top two finishers in the U.S. Senate primary in 2024 to appear on the general election ballot. (Associated Press)
Flooding in Minnesota: The Mississippi River was forecast to crest eight feet above normal later this week in St. Paul, part of the high water on the upper Mississippi that has inundated farmland in the state. (WCCO News)
