Policy Updates and Issue News October 2020
| Heading into the Election |
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Next Tuesday, November 3rd, Americans will head to the polls to vote in an election unlike any other in recent memory. Or perhaps, it’s more accurate to say that on November 3rd the election will come to a close, as 75 million Americans have already voted as of the writing of this piece, and millions more will vote by mail or early in-person ballot before election day. Either way, here is a brief rundown on races to watch in key rural Senate and House seats. Senate:The race to control the Senate hinges on many key rural and agricultural races. Vulnerable incumbents in agriculture/rural states include Agriculture Committee members Joni Ernst (IA) and Kelly Loeffler (GA), along with Senators from big rural states such as David Perdue (GA), cousin of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Steve Daines (MT), and Doug Jones (AL). As well, in the race for the open seat of retiring Agriculture Committee Chair Pat Roberts (KS), current House Agriculture Committee member Roger Marshall is favored. House:In the House many of the tightest races this year will come in agricultural/rural districts. Most prominently, House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (MN-7) is one of the most vulnerable members up for reelection this year as he runs as a democrat in a district President Trump carried by 31 points in 2016. Other vulnerable agriculture committee members include Democrats Xochitl Torres Small (NM-2) and Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), and Republicans Jim Hagedorn (MN-1) and Rodney Davis (IL-13). Other close agriculture/rural House races to watch on election night include CA-21, IA-1, and IA-2. |
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| Agriculture and Food |
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Free School Meals ContinueSecretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has authorized the extension of nationwide flexibilities to allow free meals for all children throughout the 2020-2021 school year regardless of whether the students are physically in the classroom or learning remotely. The meals will include both breakfast and lunch. The extension includes waivers which eliminate many regulatory hurdles and allows school nutrition staff to customize meal service to suit the specific needs of local school communities. Additional funding provided in the continuing appropriations law passed by Congress in late September made the extension possible. ‘Swine Bomb’ WarningThe nation’s wild hog population is surging, and over 9 million feral hogs have now invaded 35 states, warns the USDA. Texas has the most with over 2.5 million hogs that destroy a third of the crops on some farms and ranches. As an invasive species, they have been known to attack young cattle, sheep and goats. Populations have grown even more dramatically over the past 6 months as the coronavirus pandemic has kept hunters at home who normally are able to help control the feral population. Supreme Court Upholds Right to FarmThe U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to overturn Indiana’s Right to Farm Act that claimed the Act violated the U. S. Constitution. The court ruled that just because the defendant switched from growing crops to a confined animal feeding operation, that conversion did not constitute a “significant change” under the Indiana statute. Oat Milk Popularity SurgesIt’s just been a few years since oat milk first appeared on grocery shelves. Now, oat milk is the second most popular plant-based milk, edging out soy milk, to claim its place behind almond milk which has 63% of the plant-based market. Oat milk proponents say the product is high in protein and fiber, is allergy friendly, and ranks high on sustainability calculators because oats are not water intensive to grow. Impossible Foods Goal: Eliminate Animal AgricultureImpossible Foods, an investor-backed company deeply focused on creating plant-based food alternatives, is trying to hire top scientists to double the size of its research and development teams as it tries to end animal agriculture. Impossible’s next big innovation is expected to be dairy-free Impossible Milk that looks, acts and tastes just like cow’s milk. The company also wants to tackle a more realistic steak and fish alternative to compete with Beyond Meat and other companies. |
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| Health Care |
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COVID-19 Vaccine OptionsThe National Grange filed comments October 15 with the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to urge the FDA to consider any and all COVID-19 vaccine delivery options. The Grange suggested innovative options such as an oral vaccine in pill form should be pursued alongside the traditional injection format. For those from rural walks of life with limited access and formidable barriers, these innovative options will help assure a vulnerable population receives priority health and safety attention. The Grange comments received wide coverage in national media as well as local, rural and agricultural media outlets. Vaccination SurveyGrange members across the country are currently participating in a survey to discover their comfort level with accepting a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. The survey also seeks to determine how likely a pill option for all vaccines will be utilized. Rural Versus Urban Death RisingA recent Syracuse University report shows mortality rates among working people living in rural areas compared to urban areas is widening. The report suggests the rural disadvantage is not limited to just one or two specific causes of death but persists across multiple diseases and injury categories. Increases in suicide, alcoholism, mental and behavioral disorders, diabetes, obesity, and respiratory diseases are major culprits. Cow TherapyEuropeans are rushing to embrace an alleged wellness fad: cow-hugging. In these increasingly hectic and stressful times, people there are seeking calm wherever they can find it from frolicking through fields to adopting plants. The latest fad to reduce stress is cow-hugging. According to the BBC, cows are chosen for their warm body temperatures and calm demeanor. |
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| Paper as Preferred Option | ||||||||||||||||||
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Many Grange members prefer to receive bills, notices, statements and more on paper by mail rather than digitally. They don’t want to be charged extra for the preferred paper option. The National Grange and the Keep Me Posted Coalition investigated how large corporations are addressing consumer needs and expectations. Recently the billing practices of the top 10 Fortune 500 telecommunications companies were evaluated to see how they align with KMP’s best practices that include:
Eight of the country’s top 10 telecommunications companies embrace these best practices and put their customers’ preference first. These are AT&T, Comcast, Charter/Spectrum, T-Mobile, Century Link, Dish Network, Cox Communications and US Cellular. |
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| Telecommunications | ||||||||||||||||||
Hybrid-Network Broadband DeploymentThe National Grange and a large group of agricultural, rural, businesses and civic organizations filed comments in support of Federal Communications Commission plans to update rules to allow the use of TV white space technology to expand hybrid-network technology broadband systems. Rule updates will allow higher transmit power, higher antennas for fixed devices in rural areas, and higher power mobile operations within geofenced areas. Rural Broadband BoostPhase one auction of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund began October 29. The fund has $16 billion over 10 years provided by Congress available to broadband providers to offer broadband and voice services to unserved areas with download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second download and 3 megabits upload. RDOF requires providers to offer at least one voice and one broadband service meeting the relevant service requirements to all locations within the awarded area. The National Grange has supported this initiative from the beginning. National Grange president Betsy Huber told several news outlets, “All of the publicity this year about the necessity of broadband has made Congress and the general public aware there are many areas in this country that are not connected.” Rural HotspotsStatistics show over 18 million Americans lack high-speed internet, including 9 million K-12 students and 400,000 public school teachers. Thankfully, temporary Wi-Fi hot spots are spring up in rural communities around the country. Look for these at places like Land O’Lakes facilities, Tractor Supply stores, rural electric coops, 4-H buildings and Grange halls. |
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| End Notes…. A Divided Nation | ||||||||||||||||||
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A September poll by the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget confirmed that Americans disagree on national goals and have markedly different views about the future direction of the country. Democrats rank “improving health care affordability” and “improving racial injustice” as top priorities. Republicans rank “having a strong and growing economy” and “putting America first” as top national priority goals. Overall, however, more than 80 percent of Americans hold such values as free speech, equal justice under the law, and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to succeed as defining national values. According to Michael. V. Murphy, the Committee’s director to address the root causes of our growing divisions observed, “One thing this poll tells us is that efforts to unite our divided nation are going to have to start at the community level, where people can come together every day to solve hard problems and work toward the common good.” |
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| Perspective | ||||||||||||||||||
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