Policy & Politics

A history of the Ohio congressional delegation

Published Dec. 10, 2009

The Ohio congressional delegation had been a relative sea of tranquility for a decade. Those waters began roil in 2006 and an even bigger wave of change hit in the 2008 election. The Buckeye State delegation was taken over by Democrats by a 10-8 margin; it had been 11-7 Republican.

AFBF, Ag Library to Create Clearinghouse for Beginning Farmers

Published Nov. 9, 2009

The American Farm Bureau Federation is partnering with the Agriculture Department’s National Agricultural Library to create the National Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. The new information-sharing program will help those who have decided to pursue...

Stabenow Introduces Bill with Ag Offsets

Published Nov. 9, 2009

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced a bill that would establish an offsets program as part of the Senate cap-and-trade bill. The bill establishes an initial list of eligible offsets that include agricultural practices such as no-till, methane digesters, tree planting, precision fertilizer...

Compromise Climate Bill Being Considered

Published Nov. 9, 2009

The Senate appears to be drifting away from the original climate change bill, authored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), and John Kerry (D-Mass.) and moving toward a compromise measure designed to draw support from Republicans and moderate Democrats.

OFBF Monitoring HB 149 Chapter 166 Loans - Supermarkets (Miller, E - D)

Published Nov. 9, 2009

HB 149 would allows under served community groceries to qualify for Department of Development loans and loan guarantees. Current law authorizes the Department of Development to issue loans and loan guarantees for certain economic development projects.

HB 321 Agriculture Week (Derickson - R) Introduced

Published Nov. 9, 2009

HB 321 would designate the week in which Thanksgiving occurs as "Ohio Agriculture Week" in order to increase public recognition of the vitally important role that agriculture plays both in this state and across the nation. Ohio Farm Bureau supports this legislation and will be testifying...

Senate Cap and Trade Bill Reported

Published Nov. 9, 2009

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and other Democratic members of the Environment and Public Works Committee reported S. 1733, the Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill, out of committee to the Senate floor without any Republican members of the committee participating.

Farm Bureau Continues to Push Estate Tax Reform

Published Nov. 2, 2009

Farm Bureau is urging support for a broad exemption to the estate tax bill introduced by Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.). The bill would increase the exemption under the estate tax while lowering the tax rate. “There aren’t 60 votes in the Senate for permanent repeal, so we are shifting from repeal...

Public Option Makes it into Senate Health Care Bill

Published Nov. 2, 2009

Health care reform legislation headed to the Senate floor for debate includes a public option for coverage. Millions of Americans would have the option of buying government-run insurance coverage if the bill becomes law. Individual states would have the choice to opt out of the program.

Meat Industry Must ReIntroduce Itself to Consumers

Published Nov. 2, 2009

The red meat industry must reintroduce itself to consumers to prove itself a source of innovation and technology that requires a change in approach, said Charlie Arnot, the head of the Center for Food Integrity (CFI). Arnot spoke at the opening session of the Meat Industry Research Conference...