Latest News From Governmental Regulations

Government officials claim power over entrance, searches, and surveillance on private land with no restrictions.

Jeremy Bennett was prosecuted for denying the state entry to his private business.

Hunter Carpenter says this was the most successful fly-in for ARA yet.

Reps. Jim Baird (R-Ind.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). have been recognized for their support of important agriculture issues.

Farmers are protesting across the European Union, saying they are facing rising costs and taxes, red tape, excessive environmental rules and competition from cheap food imports.

With $20/hour minimum wage and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Cory Broad shares how irrigation technologies can help farmers answer these challenges.

AgriTalk has extended an invitation to all the 2024 presidential hopefuls to join Host Chip Flory and answer five standard questions about what they would focus on once in office.

Steve Cubbage explores the true intentions behind foreign land ownership, and if it could be planting seeds of risk for our food security and national security.

Ron DeSantis, candidate for 2024 Republican presidential nomination and current Florida governor, joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk to share his motivation to be president and plans for agriculture if elected.

The government seized control of John Yearwood’s ranchland in the name of a tiny bug. “There is no shame in Washington,” he says.

“I'm announcing that Syngenta, a Chinese state-owned agrichemical company, must give up its land holdings in Arkansas,” emphasized Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

After the government twice flooded a farmer’s home and 900 acres, killed his cattle, and insisted he foot the bill, the Supreme Court will hear the case.

When the House and Senate returns on Tuesday, lawmakers will have just five days left to avoid a shutdown, which would impact several USDA services, including key reports. 

Matt Griggs faces a government ban on chicken litter: “What about my right to farm?”

Waters of the U.S. rules have evolved many times in the past 50 years. EPA announced another round of changes on Tuesday, following a May Supreme Court ruling that required EPA to revise the definition.

“We want some regulatory certainty. Our members are not opposed to regulations in general, but they need to make sense. This is one of the programs that has worked," says ARA's Richard Gupton of recently expired CFATS

“These tax credits, which encourage the use of more eco-friendly fuels, could make or break the prospects of corn ethanol as a sustainable aviation fuel," says Jim Wiesemeyer, ProFarmer policy analyst.

State regulations, insists Steven Slonaker, can be more burdensome than federal oversight to farmers and private landowners.

“There’s no question of the law, science or anything. They’re simply not doing their job,” says Monte Shaw, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director.

John Phipps says there are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S. He thinks it's a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.

“Producers looking to adopt precision ag technologies need network connectivity that extends far past their residences. They need to be able to make real-time decisions that increase yields," says Sen. Fischer (R-Neb.).

“This is an immense opportunity. For the first time, 45Z provides farmers and biofuel manufacturers a scoreboard with a transparent points system and a business model that rewards scoring points," says Mitchell Hora.

Roughly 37.6 million acres of U.S. ag land is foreign owned, according to USDA. However, select purchases of U.S. land could come to an end following a Senate vote this week.

EPA has been asked to exclude ditches from the definition of federal waters, include wetlands when they can't be distinguished from navigable waters, and erase the independent interstate waters and wetlands category.

Roughly 1.4 million metric tons of herbicide was applied globally in 2020. EPA looks to reduce the U.S.’s contribution to global herbicide numbers via a new regulation proposed on Monday.

The Farmland Security Act of 2023 seeks to further boost transparency in foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

Under the Clean Air Act, those affected by this decision have the right to request a judicial review with the US Court of Appeals within 60 days of the notice's Federal Register publication.

EPA has a deadline from the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals to offer a progress report on the Waters of the U.S. rule by Sept. 15.

Legislators have until Wednesday to propose amendments to the fiscal 2024 Ag appropriations bill, which could lead to test votes on farm bill matters. The measure could begin debate next week.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) introduced an act to prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting U.S. land near security sites, and would push a review of current ownership in these areas.

State officials find these states serve as early examples of the challenges other places may face in response to the recent Sackett ruling on WOTUS.

The program targets those who were discriminated against before Jan. 1, 2021, or those still in debt from discriminatory USDA farm loans. 

A new report examines a future without glyphosate, showing if the herbicide was no longer available for farmers, the immediate impact would be costly to the economy, farmers and the environment.

The European Commission proposed revising its rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on Wednesday to loosen some restrictions for plants resulting from newer gene-editing technology.

EPA plans to revise the "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) regulation by Sept. 1. Both the EPA and the Corps of Engineers have regulatory duties for federal waterways.

Thomas Villegas says the administrative state operates a fixed game. His lawsuit contends private landowners are accused, judged, and sentenced by the same set of unelected government employees.

Under the bill, the USDA and the FDA would become members of CFIUS and their powers would be expanded to better consider ag needs when it decides if a purchase would create national security risks.

EPA released biofuel blending obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard on Tuesday. While EPA says the decision will reduce reliance on oil imports, some biofuel industry leaders do not approve.

The White House set a goal of producing 3 billion gal. of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030. Senators say outdated climate data is keeping producers from reaching the finish line, but a new bill could change that.

The policy of the EPA and the rest of the federal government should be to join the Supreme Court in supporting and trusting farmers and landowners to do the right thing.

Bill 3372 could lower greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate factors leading to supply chain backlogs, reduce damage to roads, and provide an extra set of brakes to improve stopping capacity and safety, one lawmaker says.

"The Court’s ruling today should provide the legal certainly necessary for ag retailers and their farmer customers," says Daren Coppock.

Court Justice Samuel Alito said the EPA's interpretation of its powers went "too far."

John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, says ag need to be "front and center" as the climate solution.

Automakers, including Ford, recently announced they are planning to remove AM radio from their lineups. Joe Gill, National Association of Farm Broadcasters president, says this move poses a threat to public safety.

The Office of Investment Security proposed a rule on Friday that would require foreign entities to garner U.S. government approval before they are able to purchase land within 100 miles of eight military bases.

As of May 2022, there were 5,465 satellites orbiting earth, with 3,433 of those under U.S. ownership. NASA and Congress are looking to tap into those U.S. satellites to help producers make more informed crop decisions.

Generally, E15 is banned in summer months, but EPA flipped the script for the first time last year when it lifted the ban to lower pump prices.

The U.S. ethanol industry is lobbying the Biden administration to ensure lower-carbon aviation fuel made from ethanol will qualify for subsidies.

Kentucky is the 27th state to put a wall up against the legislation. EPA countered Kentucky’s move, asking the court to make clear that the latest rule does not apply nationwide.