Farmer and rancher delegates from Oklahoma and 49 other states and Puerto Rico to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 105th Convention adopted policies to guide the organization’s work in 2024 on Tuesday. After the work was done, Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays talked with the Vice President of Public Policy for Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Steve Thompson, about the highlights of the body of work from Oklahoma’s perspective.
For Oklahoma, “It’s really a reaffirmation of issues that we have been working on for awhile- EPA rules and regulations and how they are formulated- from the countless new water rules we have been fighting over to really specifically the pesticide rule they have put in place that is tied to the Endangered Species Act and the frustrations we have with EPA and how they have implemented things we think are bad. for the real world.”
Thompson adds that Oklahoma was pushing for policy language in the regulatory front that would help Farm Bureau members have the general farm organization backing them up when they interact with members of Congress.
Hays and Thompson also talked about the resolutions established or reaffirmed that dealt with the farm bill debate, crop insurance, ag labor, the beef checkoff, a Prop 12 legislative solution and more.
Listen to their full conversation by clicking on the Listen Bar above.
Thompson also told Hays that even as AFBF worked on their policy for 2024- he was on the phone during the day with Oklahoma lawmakers who are getting ready for the Special Session on January 29th called by Governor Stitt to consider a income tax cut for individuals- which will be quickly followed by the General Session starting February Fifth.
Thompson says he sees little chance of the lawmakers voting for the Stitt income tax cut in the special session as the Senate has little interest this early in the process to make that commitment. Farm Bureau is concerned about the pressure that could come on property taxes if income tax cuts reduce revenues to the state significantly.
Click here for more details of the work of the AFBF delegates in Salt Lake City.
