Monthly Archives: October 2019

USDA Interim Final Hemp Rule Summary

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UPDATE: On February 27, 2020, the USDA announced that it will temporarily delay enforcement of two provisions of the Interim Final Rule on hemp production. until October 31, 2021 or the publication of the Final Rule, whichever is earlier.  First, the DEA will delay enforcing the requirement that THC testing must be conducted at DEA registered laboratories.  Instead, testing may be conducted by labs that are not yet DEA registered.  Second, USDA will delay enforcement of the requirement that producers use a DEA-registered reverse distrubutor or law enforcement… Read More →

Livestock and Community Property

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Let me start out with a disclaimer here:  I am by no means a family lawyer.  This was the one area of law I knew I did not want to practice when I went to law school.  That said, I’ve seen this issue come up a couple of times and it involves cattle, so it seems important to include on an ag law blog. Texas is a community property state.  Property can be categorized as separate or community.  Separate property is property that one spouse brought into the… Read More →

2019 Texas Legislative Recap – Top 5 Bills for Agriculture

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A couple of weeks ago, I did a podcast with J Pete Laney giving an update of the key bills coming out of the Texas Legislature for agriculture.  The response was great, and several folks asked if I would do a similar blog post.  So, I’ve narrowed the bills J Pete and I discussed to a Top 5 list of bills for agriculture. If you want more detail on any of the bills, be sure to click on each bill number to read the text, and be sure… Read More →

October 18, 2019 Weekly Round Up

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It’s time for another ag law weekly round up! I’d like to be sure and welcome those of you joining us from recent programs I spoke at in Brenham and College Station.  We’re glad you’re here. Here are some of the stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. * Kinder Morgan & City of Kyle settle lawsuit over ordinance preventing Permian Highway pipeline. You may recall from this prior post that the City of Kyle recently passed an ordinance requiring pipelines over 30″ in diameter to… Read More →

Appearances on Windmill Wisdom

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Recently, I was invited by Monty Edwards to be on his You Tube show called Windmill Wisdom. It was really fun to sit down with some experts in different areas to talk about various agricultural issues.  I’m so grateful to Monty for hosting this show. First, Monty interviewed Benjamin Needham, Rhett Kirby, and me for an episode titled “Preserving the Legacy of Texas Lands.”  Ben is a Registered Landman and Rhett is a Natural Resource Consultant.  We had a great conversation on a host of issues including surface… Read More →

Lawsuit Challenges Texas Drone Law

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A lawsuit recently filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas challenges the constitutionality of the Texas “Use of Unmanned Aircraft” statute. Background This background section will focus on those areas relevant to the lawsuit and will not provide a complete summary of the statute. [Read full statute here and read prior blog post here for a more detailed summary of the statute.] Back in 2013, the Texas Legislature passed the “Use of Unmanned Aircraft” statute.  This legislation sought to address various issues… Read More →

October 4, 2019 Weekly Round Up

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Happy October!  It finally feels like fall in the Texas Panhandle and I’m sure enjoying it.  Here are a few ag law stories that have been in the news over the past couple of weeks. * Elder law podcast is a must listen.  I don’t usually share my own podcast episodes in the Weekly Round Up, but the interview I posted this week with elder law attorney, Kristen Porter, is one that I really think is so important, especially for farm and ranch families.  Kristen talked us through… Read More →