Monthly Archives: October 2025

Federal Appellate Court Upholds Massachusetts Question 3 Animal Confinement Law

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The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently upheld a legal challenge to Massachusetts Question 3, an animal confinement statute similar to California’s Prop 12.  [Read Opinion here.] Background In 2016, Massachusetts voters passed Question 3, the Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals (“the Act”).  The Act applied to veal, poultry, and pork, but this case involved only the provisions related to pork production.  The Act prohibited the use of gestation crates on pig farms in Massachusetts.  Additionally, the law prohibited the sale of… Read More →

“Paid in Sweat, Secured by Planning”

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I was honored to do an interview with Laura Handke for an article she was writing on estate planning for Red Angus magazine.  Not only are Red Angus my favorite breed of cattle, a trait passed down to me from my grandmother, this is an extremely important topic for all farmers and ranchers to consider. Laura did a great job on this article, highlighting some of the key considerations for ag operations as they prepare an estate and succession plan. To read the article, click here and scroll… Read More →

October 10, 2025 Weekly Round Up

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*Federal court denies motion to dismiss in lawsuit over electronic ear tag requirement for cattle.  A federal judge in South Dakota has denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by R-Calf and other agricultural groups challenging the USDA mandate requiring electronic ear tags for certain cattle and bison crossing state lines.  This means the lawsuit will proceed with discovery.  [Read article here.] *Federal appellate court upholds Massachusetts Question 3 law regarding animal confinement statutes.  The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently upheld the… Read More →

Is Witness to a Will Required to Know What the Signor is Signing?

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Does a witness to a will signing have to know what is being signed?  This was the question recently before the Amarillo Court of Appeals in In the estate of Chester Freeman Youngblood, deceased.[Read Opinion here.] Background The court summarized the case this way:  “This case has all the makings of a legal riddle:  two Debras, two wills, and one key question–does a witness to a will need to know it’s a will to validly witness the signing of it?” Chester Youngblood died in 2016 under the care of… Read More →