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Looking out for the best interests of Ohio agriculture and our rural communities is a top priority for Ohio Farm Bureau. Many times that means working with legislators to make sure strong policies are in place so farm families and agribusinesses can continue to thrive, or communicating with regulators to ensure our voices are heard and sound science is used if new rules that could have an impact on farmers are being discussed.

It seems that now, more than ever, we are seeing attempts to impede the livelihood of our members through another avenue altogether: the court system. Proposition 12 out of California, which set unreasonable rules for livestock producers in that state and beyond, is now being taken up in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Lake Erie Bill of Rights here in Ohio, until it was struck down in court, gave human rights to a body of water. These are both prime examples of outside interests needling their contrarian ideals into the fabric of our way of life by using the judicial process.

Presently, Farm Bureau is involved with cases regarding property rights in Ohio and a case in the highest court in the land about what is considered to be a wetland in the Clean Water Act.

As if those challenges weren’t enough, we also are dealing with volatility in the agricultural markets and unpredictability in our supply chains and food channels. In a time of so much uncertainty, Ohio’s agriculture community needs a consistent Ohio Supreme Court.

Because of this, who we elect to run our judicial system at the highest levels will be crucial to the future of rural Ohioans. That’s why Ohio Farm Bureau’s Agriculture for Good Government PAC is proud to support Justices DeWine and Fischer in their re-election efforts and Justice Kennedy in her candidacy for Chief Justice. They have a strong record of ruling in support of private property rights and a rational regulatory environment, while maintaining a stable and predictable judicial system.

The process to support these justices does not come lightly. Ohio Farm Bureau’s AGGPAC looks at the cases that our organization has been involved with over the years as a way to measure the consistency and predictability of the Court and to see if those decisions align with Farm Bureau’s priorities.

While there may be times when Ohio Farm Bureau disagrees with the outcome the Court has reached, we also must consider how the Court came to the decision and the reasoning provided. Of course we desire certain outcomes, but we also desire sound reasoning and judicial decision-making which shows respect for the co-equal branches of government. These justices have demonstrated these skills time and again and have earned our support.
We all have some big decisions ahead of us in November, from who will lead our state to who will represent us and our interests in Columbus and Washington, D.C. The case can be made that equally as important this time around is who we choose to guide the law of the land on the Ohio Supreme Court.

I hope you will consider Justices DeWine, Fischer and Kennedy to maintain common sense and an added layer of certainty that is needed to secure a viable and successful precedent for our Farm Bureau members and all of rural Ohio.