A news release yesterday from Sen. Joni Ernst (R, Iowa) stated that, “[Sen. Ernst] introduced legislation to codify into law the Trump Administration’s rollback of the Obama-era ‘Waters of the United States,’ or ‘WOTUS,’ rule.

“‘The Obama-era WOTUS rule threatened Iowa’s farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses by giving the federal government authority to regulate water on 97 percent of land in our state,’ said Senator Joni Ernst. ‘President Trump and his administration have taken tremendous steps to roll back this overreaching regulation and provide for more certainty with a new, clearer definition of WOTUS. But it’s the job of Congress to make a new, reasonable definition permanent, and that’s what this bill does—it ensures more predictability and workability for Iowans for years to come.’

“In late 2018, the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule to replace the Obama Administration’s 2015 WOTUS rule. The Define WOTUS Act would codify a definition of ‘Waters of the United States’ and reassert Congressional responsibility to define this important term. The definition in the Define WOTUS Act also makes substantial improvements over various administrative attempts to define the term by clearly outlining what is, and is not, a federally regulated waterway.”

The release added that, “Senator Ernst introduced the bill with Senator Mike Braun (R, Ind.).”

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported late last month that, “The former owners/operators of a biodiesel plant in Utah have reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in a biodiesel tax and renewable identification numbers, or RINs, fraud case, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah in Salt Lake City on July 18.

“Washakie Renewable Energy Chief Executive Officer Jacob O. Kingston, Washakie Chief Financial Officer Isaiah Kingston, Special Projects Manager Rachel Kingston, Jacob Kingston’s wife and Compliance Manager Sally Kingston, pleaded guilty to multiple charges.

“According to the indictment in the case, the Kingstons conducted an illegal scheme that led to the company receiving $511 million from the federal government.”

Mr. Neeley indicated that, “According to court documents, Washakie Renewable Energy produced little or no actual biodiesel. Instead, the plea agreement outlines a scheme that involved buying biodiesel and other commodities from other companies and misrepresenting the biofuel as its own.

“Jacob O. Kingston admitted in the plea agreement to conducting such a scheme. He could be imprisoned for a maximum of 30 years. His brother, Isaiah, could face up to 20 years in prison.”

Bloomberg writer Tim Loh reported yesterday that, “Bayer AG Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann said he’d consider a ‘financially reasonable’ settlement of litigation over the weedkiller Roundup as the caseload swells and the company’s shares slump anew.

“The number of lawsuits from people in the U.S. who say the herbicide caused them to develop cancer rose by about 5,000 to 18,400, Bayer said in a statement. The company also revealed more troubles at its crop-science division on Tuesday after bad weather curbed demand from farmers.

“Quarterly sales and earnings missed estimates and the German company questioned its ability to meet its full-year forecast. The shares fell 3.4 percent in Frankfurt.”

The Bloomberg article stated that, “Baumann said on a conference call that he is open to a settlement as long as it resolves all Roundup litigation. He repeated that the herbicide is safe, that the cases have no merit and that the company is ‘constructively engaging’ with court-appointed mediator Ken Feinberg.

“After the call, Bayer declined to say how much a ‘financially reasonable’ sum would be or whether Baumann was referring only to the current load of cancer cases or the possibility of future Roundup suits tied to other ailments.”

A news release last week from Representative Antonio Delgado (D. N.Y.) stated that, “Today, the U.S. House passed [Rep. Delgado’s] bipartisan legislation, H.R. 2336, the Family Farmer Relief Act, introduced with House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), and Reps. TJ Cox (D-Calif.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), which would ease the process of reorganizing debt through Chapter 12 bankruptcy rules. Rep. Delgado previously testified before the House Judiciary Committee on this bipartisan legislation, and applauded its bipartisan passage through the Committee.

“Following passage Rep. Delgado said, ‘Farming in Upstate New York is a way of life and the current down turn in the farm economy threatens this time-honored tradition for thousands of family farms in my district. Today, I am proud the House voted to pass the Family Farmer Relief Act which will bring relief to struggling family farmers and allow them the flexibility to continue operations. This legislation was a bipartisan, cooperative effort from the beginning and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for joining me to champion this important cause. I urge its swift passage in the Senate.'”

Last week’s update quoted Rep. Delgado as saying, “This is the 5th year on record of declining net farm income; prices are low, inputs are high, and current trade policies make the future for farms unknown. 2018 marked the fourth consecutive year of rising bankruptcy rates as a proportion of the farm population. This farm economy is exacerbated by an outdated bankruptcy filing cap that leaves farmers without options to restructure or repay their debt. Chapter 12 was created specifically to provide repayment flexibility and reorganizational advantages for family farms during poor economic times. Unfortunately, this outdated debt cap has rendered Chapter 12 an inaccessible tool to thousands of farm families.”

Wall Street Journal writer Sara Randazzo reported yesterday that, “Bayer AG succeeded in getting a third large trial verdict substantially reduced in litigation over the safety of its signature weedkiller, Roundup.

“A California state court judge in Alameda County on Thursday trimmed a more than $2 billion award to $86.7 million in the case of a local husband and wife who each blamed non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnoses on Bayer’s product.

A news release yesterday from Representative Antonio Delgado (D., N.Y.) stated that, “Today, [Rep. Delgado] and Representative John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13) introduced the Tax Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, bipartisan legislation that would make changes to the tax code to level the playing field for self-employed small business owners by making sure that self-employed individuals can access the same tax deductions as corporations when it comes to health insurance premiums. The bill would allow the over 1.7 million self-employed individuals in New York to deduct their health care premiums as a business deduction, saving self-employed individuals an average of $750 a year.

“‘Small businesses and self-employed owners are paying too much in taxes. Many family farmers are self-employed owners and during this down farm economy, our out-of-date tax code leaves farmers and self-employed business owners behind by failing to allow them to deduct health insurance premiums as a business expense.’ Delgado continued, ‘I’m proud to introduce the Tax Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, bipartisan legislation to level the playing field for small business owners and ensure that self-employed individuals receive the same tax benefits as corporations when it comes to health insurance costs. This common sense legislation will lower small business owners’ health care costs, and put more money into the pockets of New York’s self-employed.’

“‘As a both a physician and someone who has built a business from the ground up, I understand that health care costs for self-employed individuals are far too high. The Tax Fairness for the Self-Employed Act is a common sense reform that will level the playing field between hardworking small business owners and corporations when it comes to health care. This measure will be especially helpful to the farmers of Pennsylvania’s 13th District, many of whom are self-employed. One of my primary goals in Congress is to reduce health care costs for my constituents, and I urge House leadership to take up this bipartisan legislation as soon as possible so that goal can be accomplished,’ said Congressman Joyce.”

Yesterday’s update added that, “The Tax Fairness for the Self-Employed Act has been endorsed by the New York Farm Bureau.”

Associated Press writer Hannah Grabenstein reported yesterday that, “Tofurky Co., which produces plant-based alternatives to meat, filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday claiming an Arkansas law that bans the use of ‘meat’ in the labeling of its products violates free speech rights.

“The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Oregon-based company against Arkansas’ Bureau of Standards. Tofurky produces tofu, quinoa and other plant-based ‘sausages,’ deli slices and burgers.

“The stated goal of the Arkansas law set to take effect Wednesday is to ‘require truth in labeling.’ It would fine companies up to $1,000 for each violation. It also bans companies from labeling other vegetables, such as cauliflower, as ‘rice.’ Arkansas is the nation’s top rice producer.”

The AP article noted that, “Broadly written, the law specifically prohibits labeling a product as meat, rice, beef, or pork, as well as any term ‘that has been used or defined historically in reference to a specific agricultural product.‘

“Tofurky CEO Jaime Athos said that consumers have been ‘successfully navigating’ plant-based products for years, and that traditional meat producers are feeling threatened by the recent rise in demand for such foods.

“State Representative David Hillman, a rice farmer and the law’s author, said companies labeling products as cauliflower rice or veggie burgers are trying to confuse consumers.”

Ms. Grabenstein added that, “The Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that promotes plant-based alternatives to meat, joined the ACLU and the Animal Legal Defense Fund in filing the suit on Tofurky’s behalf. Jessica Almy, the group’s policy director, said the law’s true aim is to protect meat producers. The First Amendment protects the companies’ use of terms like ‘plant-based meat’ or ‘veggie burger’ because it’s truthful labeling, Almy said.

“Such companies want consumers to know the products are made from plants, she said.”

“In addition to Arkansas, The Good Food Institute has said eleven other states — Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming — have enacted what it calls ‘meat label censorship’ laws.”