REGION UPDATE
million in approved funding benefiting wildfire victims in the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma . Another round of funding is expected to be provided to the Volunteer Fire Departments prior to Sept . 1 . In mid-August , the 40th Annual OCA Ranch Rodeo was held as a fundraiser for the Children ’ s Health Foundation . Also in August , the TCFA B4K Golf Tournament raised money for the Snack Pak 4 Kids Beef Fund . For football fans , Arkansas Cattlemen ’ s Association ( ACA ) is teaming up with Arkansas Beef Council for a tailgating event before the Arkansas Razorback ’ s game .
Lastly , each of the affiliates ; ACA , OCA , TCFA and TSCRA held very successful summer meetings with outstanding attendance . Comments were made about the “ new faces ” in the crowds — a positive sign !
REGION V
By Jim Steinbeisser
NCBA ’ s Summer Business Meeting in San Diego was a success ! Our Region V meeting kicked things off . The issues we discussed there are what I would like to focus on .
Probably the biggest news we talked about was the Supreme Court ’ s decision on the Chevron deference case . For the last 40 years , courts have allowed deference of federal agencies ’ regulations regarding ambiguous laws passed by Congress . This gave unelected federal bureaucrats too much power . At times , Congress used this to take some heat off the decision they would make .
Thanks to the Supreme Court ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v . Raimondo , this will put Congress back in control of crafting policy , making them more accountable to those who elected them , and reining in the authority of bureaucrats .
This will have a far-reaching impact for NCBA and the agriculture industry regarding future regulations . NCBA , along with others , submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court arguing for the overruling of Chevron deference .
Lab-grown meat was also discussed . It seems that most consumers aren ’ t receptive to the idea at this point . Florida is one state that has outlawed this product , and other state legislators are working on bills to do the same . NCBA is supporting the Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act . This legislation would end deceptive labeling on products containing fake or lab-grown meats and include a statement saying that product was not produced by traditional cattle production methods .
I look forward to seeing many of you in San Antonio come February . We are working on a plan to possibly expand our Region V meeting to make it more valuable and engaging for all who attend . Stay tuned for more details . Hope you all have a productive and successful fall .
REGION Vl
By J . J . Goicoechea
The long-awaited rule on identification tags needing to be both visually and electronically readable is welcome . There is no doubt the large operations across Region VI will need to adjust tagging for disease and overall traceability going forward , but this is a win for our industry and one that will pay huge dividends as we continue to expand and defend our place in the global protein marketplace . Still of great concern is
the Bureau of Land Management ’ s Public Lands Rule . In August , the agency announced the next steps in implementation of this unnecessary and , quite frankly , unlawful rule . The leadership at NCBA is standing behind our western ranchers and alongside our affiliate , the Public Lands Council , in filing suit to stop this agency overreach .
The struggles with wildfire continue , and we know our friends to the north are also experiencing catastrophic losses this season . This challenge is not going to go away without some real on-theground management of fuels . We know feed becomes fuel when we can ’ t graze it and the continued pushes to remove grazing in the name of “ conservation ” and other single uses are only going to continue to feed into the fire cycle . With so much of the West and especially Region VI being under control ( I will not use the term management ) of the federal agencies , we need a meaningful change of direction soon if we are to save our rangelands and the livelihoods of many producers . I ask you keep our producers in your prayers this fall .
REGION Vll
By Phil Perry
I hope everybody is having a good summer . It ’ s fall but to Nebraska and Kansas it looks like it ’ s still May — not a lot of rain but it ’ s been timely .
The Kansas Livestock Association ( KLA ) along with Kansas State University are gearing up for their field days . The Downey Ranch is hosting the first one followed by the Hoeme . KLA staff has had a number of calls from members with questions and concerns about National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors . In Kansas , the Midwest-Plains NIETC has been designated along the path of the Grain Belt Express line . KLA members are concerned how an additional line might affect their operations .
The North Dakota Stockman ’ s Association ( NDSA ) is part of a Model Zoning Task Force established by the Legislature last year . The goal is to review the existing model and identify any necessary recommendations for changes that would help grow animal agriculture and preserve local control . The NDSA hired a new Technology Support Specialist . This newly created position will help roll out the organization ’ s electronic brand inspection program .
The South Dakota Cattlemen ’ s Association ( SDCA ) is wrapping up region meetings that featured the state veterinarian talking about the new EID rules . We will host an event with NCBA policy staff at Dakotafest to discuss the work they do on behalf of producers . SDCA launched the SDCA Leadership Academy on July 1 and are working through applications .
Nebraska Cattlemen is currently engaged in a special legislative session called by Governor Jim Pillen . The special session was called to address the high property taxes burdening Nebraskan cattle producers . They are looking at numerous solutions to help with the issue .
I ’ d sure like to thank all the states for helping with these updates !
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