OFBF Director of State Policy Beth Vanderkooi testified before the Ohio Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environment Committee in support of House Bill 22 regarding changes to Ohio's Animals at Large Law.
OFBF Director of State Policy Beth Vanderkooi testified before the Senate Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee in support of Senate Bill 90 to eliminate the Ohio Estate Tax.
OFBF Director of State Policy Beth Vanderkooi testified before the Ohio House of Representatives Economic and Small Business Development Committee about the importance of growing Ohio's agricultural economy.
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After years of being a leader in world trade negotiations, the United States is now sitting on the sidelines. Congress still has not taken up any of the hard-fought free trade agreements that were negotiated years ago. Instead of waiting for the United States to finalize its...
In a letter to the editor sent today to the Boston Globe, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman defended direct payments as a basic safety net for the 98 percent of U.S. farms that are owned and run by families. An editorial in Tuesday’s Globe labeled direct payments...
American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman sent a letter to the editor of the Washington Post on Friday, responding to a vitriolic opinion piece by Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein criticizing Farm Bureau's opposition to the massive climate change bill that narrowly passed...
Retail food prices at the supermarket decreased for the fifth consecutive quarter and are significantly lower than one year ago, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey.
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Jack Fisher sent the following letter to members of the Ohio House of Representatives this week to outline OFBF's priorities in the State Budget Bill.
The staredown between Senate Republicans and the governor and House escalated this week as Senate President Bill Harris dug in his heels in opposition to expanding gambling through video lottery terminals (VLTs) at Ohios racetracks. Continuing to say that he has questions about the revenue...
In 2012, lawmakers are likely to adopt a capital improvements bill. The capital bill appropriates money for the acquisition, construction, equipment, or renovation of buildings and other facilities of other agencies.
Governor Ted Strickland will deliver his "State of the State" address at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 27 before a joint session of the General Assembly.
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation's 2013 State Priority Issues
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Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) commends Governor-elect Kasich’s selection of Jim Zehringer to serve as director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Mr. Zehringer’s experience as a family farmer, businessman and legislator makes him highly qualified to lead...
The chairs of the Senate and House Agriculture committees said in a statement released Monday that the supercommittee’s failure to find ways to cut the federal budget deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years scuttles efforts to find $23 billion in farm bill savings.
The Ohio Supreme Court recently sided with a group of landowners who have suffered damaging flooding after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources redesigned and significantly increased the size of a spillway at Grand Lake St. Mary’s. In State ex. rel. Doner v. Zody, 2011-Ohio-6117, the state...
The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a unanimous verdict in a case that could have a major impact on the regulation of greenhouse gases in the agricultural industry.
In early morning procedural votes today, the Senate approved cutting off debate on the manager’s amendment on health care legislation offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The manager’s amendment did not include a public insurance option, which Farm Bureau strongly opposes.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Agriculture Department on Tuesday released a statement regarding a recent decision by Taiwan officials to bar import of some U.S. beef and beef products by amending the country’s Food Sanitation Act (FSA).
The Taiwanese Legislature has voted to ban some U.S. beef imports, which the U.S. government says undermines Taiwan’s credibility as a trading partner. The move reverses an earlier deal the government had negotiated with Washington.
A recently-signed memorandum between Mexico and the United States brought an end to the long-running dispute over Mexican truck access north of the border.
Officials with Mexico’s agriculture department announced test results indicating the H1N1 influenza strain that infected 4,300 people in 33 countries did not originate from hogs at a Smithfield Foods operation in Veracruz. The hogs at the Granjas Carroll de México farm also tested negative...
Mary Kay Thatcher, AFBF director of public policy, tells Agriculture Online that Farm Bureau doesn't anticipate the massive climate change bill passed by the House last week to pass the Senate this year. And the New York Times reported Tuesday that opposition from Farm Bureau and other...
Legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products appears on track for passage after a procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, but Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) are taking steps to slow or stop the bill.
$3 Billion in Additional Exports, Economic Development and Jobs. That’s what is gained once the Korea, Panama and Colombia Free Trade Agreements are implemented. But while the Administration and Congress delay action, current American agricultural market share is being cut by other countries...
Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I.-Conn.) on Thursday held a press conference to talk up a proposal on climate legislation that includes caps on greenhouse gas emissions and incentives for offshore oil-and-gas exploration and nuclear power plants.
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