News Update
September 28, 2017
American Angus Auxiliary Fundraiser
The American Angus Auxiliary Annual Fundraiser began Sept. 27 and is open through Sept. 28. View and bid on items through AngusLive.
Highlighted items are embryo transfer services; semen and embryos; a vacation package at Lake of the Ozarks or Fort Meyers Beach; along with marketing services, home gifts, toys and Angus art.
AFBF to EPA: Time to Rescind WOTUS Rule
As the deadline for the comments on rescinding the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule closed yesterday, Sept. 27, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall commended the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) formal proposal to ditch the rule.
“We do not stand alone in our assessment that the WOTUS rule was much more about seizing land control than about protecting water, and in official comments today we joined several broad-based coalitions expressing those sentiments,” Duvall said. “It is clear that this WOTUS rule violated the law while creating legal risk and enormous uncertainty for farmers, ranchers and others who work with the land.
Duvall continued: “It is time for EPA to take the final step of repealing the WOTUS rule. The agency should then move forward with a new rule that provides farmers, ranchers, towns, states and small businesses with clarity and certainty they need. The new rule should rely on commonsense directives that don’t require teams of consultants and lawyers to navigate a maze of federal regulations. We will follow this process closely over the coming months to ensure that the new rule is based on law, that waters are protected and that farmland can be farmed.”
For more information, read the AFBF news release online.
Secretary Perdue Statement on
President Trump’s Tax Reform Agenda
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Sept. 27 applauded President Donald J. Trump’s vision of a broad reform of the American tax code, which will result in dramatic tax cuts for millions of American individuals, families, businesses, family farmers, ranchers and foresters.
Perdue said: “The people of American agriculture work hard every day to provide food, fiber and fuel for their fellow citizens, so they shouldn’t be overburdened by the tax collector, as well. Most family farms operate as small businesses, with the line between success and failure frequently being razor thin. Add to that the complexity and costs of merely complying with the tax code, and their budgets are stretched even tighter. On top of it all, the unfair ‘death tax’ can cause too many family farms to be broken up and sold off to pay the tax bill, undoing lifetimes of toil and preventing further generations from carrying on. President Trump is right to push for reform and reductions in the tax code — an overhaul that is long overdue.”
Cattlemen ‘Very Pleased’ That Tax-reform
Blueprint Includes Death Tax Repeal
Craig Uden, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), shared his support of President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress for maintaining their long-standing commitment to American agriculture by including a full repeal of the onerous death tax in the Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code.
Uden said: “We look forward to working with the administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill as pen meets paper on tax legislation, and will continue to demonstrate how the death tax and its associated costs adversely affect family-owned operations and the rural communities they support.
“Also, current provisions in the tax code that help livestock producers maintain economically viable businesses and support the success of future generations of farmers and ranchers must be preserved,” he continued. “Stepped-up basis, cash accounting, like-kind exchanges, cost recovery and the deductibility of interest payments are just a handful of the provisions that allow agricultural producers to survive despite the many challenges we face, from market volatility and fluctuating input prices, to droughts, wildfires, and floods to the challenge of generational transfers.”
Read the NCBA news release online.
Local Ranching Event Scheduled for Oct. 4 in Caldwell
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) will host a ranch gathering on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, at the Caldwell Civic Center and Museum in Caldwell, Texas. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a complimentary beef dinner.
The event is free and open to the public.
TSCRA will give an update on recovery efforts following Hurricane Harvey, discuss the impact of the storm on area cattle raisers and make producers aware of relief resources that are available.
TSCRA Special Ranger Hal Dumas will also be on hand to provide a law enforcement update and offer ranchers information on how they can keep their livestock and equipment safe and secure. Attendees will receive an update on the 85th Texas Legislative Session and recent government affairs activities, including private property rights initiatives. Other areas of interest to cattle raisers and the community will be discussed, as well.
Learn more in the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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