Hello from Dallas Love Field Airport, which has been my second home recently with all my travels.  This week, I made my way to Stephenville to speak at Annie’s Project.  Huge kudos to Jason Johnson for his work coordinating this intensive educational course for farm and ranch women and a big thanks to him for inviting me to participate.  It is always one of my favorite programs of the year.

Here are some ag law stories in the news this week.

* Iowa “Ag Gag” statute challenged in federal court.  Another constitutional challenge to an “ag gag” statute has been filed.  A group of plaintiffs alleges that the Iowa law, passed in 2012, violates the First Amendment and Equal Protection Clause.  [View Complaint here and article here.]

* US Supreme Court will hear oral argument in water law cases, including Texas v. New Mexico.  This week, the US Supreme Court granted oral argument in two water law cases–Texas v. New Mexico and Florida v. Georgia.  You may recall that the Texas v. New Mexico case involves a dispute over waters of the Rio Grande River.  [Read prior blog here.]  The case has been proceeding before a Special Master, but now the Justices will hear arguments from counsel.  [Read article here.]

* Article looks at the impact of Texas Supreme Court decision in City of Lubbock v. Coyote Lake Ranch.  My friend Jim Bradbury recently had an article published in the Texas Water Journal discussing the City of Lubbock v. Coyote Lake Ranch decision.  [Read article here.]  You may recall from this prior post that the Texas Supreme Court held that a severed groundwater estate was a dominant estate and that the accommodation doctrine applies to groundwater in that landmark decision last year.