Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is visiting with the Vice President of Governmental Affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Ethan Lane, about regulatory battles that continue in the cattle industry.
Regarding the Supreme Court ruling on the Waters of the U.S. Rule, Lane said the current ruling is a win for the cattle industry and farmers by any measure.
“It eliminates 65 percent of the potential waters, or sandy bottom washes, or prairie potholes that would have been included in that original rule, which are now not included or exempt, given that new definition or new structure,” Lane said.
Despite the wins that come along with the new WOTUS rule, Lane said there are some areas that are lacking.
“That federal nexus component is still a little bit open-ended,” Lane said. “That litigation piece is going to continue in an effort to make sure that refinement happens and that we have an airtight rule that truly can be put to bed, and we can walk off the field on this. We are hopeful we can get that done in the next few months.”
In the endangered species space, Lane said the Endangered Species Act is poorly written and needs attention.
“The Endangered Species Act is still one of the biggest Achilles heel problems of the cattle industry nationwide,” Lane said.
NCBA continues to revisit tax policy, as Lane said the increase in the death tax limit to over 11 million will expire in 2025.
“We really need to start laying that groundwork now for what another tax package looks like,” Lane said.
Individuals can visit https://www.ncba.org/policy and complete the tax survey on the site.
“What we need is information from producers around the country on what different tax provisions they are using now, what they find helpful, and what they don’t, so that we have as much information as possible to reengage in that fight as it comes back up again,” Lane said.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
