Category Archives: Weekly Round Up

September 27, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  It has been a whirlwind of a month around here.  Thank you to those of you who I have seen on the road at in person presentations–it has been fun getting to connect face-to-face with so many readers. There has been a lot of news on the agricultural law front. * Lawsuit filed against Tyson “climate smart beef” claims. The Environmental Working Group has filed suit claiming that Tyson’s marketing “climate friendly” beef is misleading consumers.  Tyson sells some beef with a “climate smart” label and has… Read More →

August 23, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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Welcome back to another Weekly Round Up where we get you caught up on some of the biggest stories in ag law news around the country. *Federal court finds FTC ban on noncompete agreements unlawful, sets rule aside in nationwide order.  A federal judge in Texas held that the FTC’s recent rule prohibiting most noncompete agreements is unlawful.  The court held that the rule went beyond the FTC’s authority and was arbitrary and capricious.  The judge issued an order setting aside the rule on a nationwide basis.  This… Read More →

August 2, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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It has been a fast and furious summer here, and we have fallen behind on our bi-weekly round ups.  We are here today to help get you caught up on the biggest ag law news around the country! *Court rules Massachusetts’ Question 3 is not preempted by Federal Meat Inspection Act.  A Massachusetts federal court recently ruled that Massachusetts’ Question 3, a ballot initiative banning the sale of pork that is not raised in accordance with certain practices, is not preempted by the Federal Meat Inspection Act as… Read More →

June 28, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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It has been a whirlwind of a couple of weeks for agricultural law.  Here is a quick rundown of some of the biggest stories in the news. *Federal government lifts boundary limitations on Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.  The US Department of the Interior has lifted boundary limitations on four wildlife refuges across the country, including the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge here in Texas.  This will allow these refuges to expand their acreage.  Importantly, the acquisition of any additional acreage will be voluntary and will not be taken by… Read More →

June 7, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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Summer is here and there are plenty of agricultural law updates to discuss. *Lawsuit filed challenging law creating business courts.  On May 23, Dallas County filed suit challenging the constitutionality of the business court system created by the Texas Legislature last session.  The new courts have jurisdiction in high-dollar business cases, with the judges appointed by the governor and a 15th Court of Appeals to hear all appeals.  The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the business court set up in creating a state-wide district for the new Court… Read More →

May 24, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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We have made it to another Friday and the start of summer for many!  There are a number of important agricultural law stories in the news. * House Committee on Agriculture releases Farm Bill Draft.  The House Committee on Agriculture, led by Chairman GT Thompson released its draft of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 last week.  Last night, the bill passed out of committee on a bipartisan vote 33-21.  To read the text of the bill, click here.  To read a summary of the House… Read More →

May 10, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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Happy May!  We are back with a number of ag law stories in the news over the past couple of weeks. *Notices of Appraised value being sent to Texas landowners.  County Appraisal Districts around the state are sending out Notices of Appraised Value to landowners.  Be sure that you carefully review your Notice and timely file any protest you may have.  It is critical the property owners understand that while their property tax bill will not arrive until October, any protest regarding the taxable value of property must… Read More →

April 26, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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We’re back with another Friday Weekly Round Up.  Let’s get caught up on some of the biggest stories in the news. *Texas farmers sue USDA for alleged discrimination.  Several Texas farmers have filed suit against the USDA claiming discrimination for how payments were calculated for certain programs. I wrote an article about the lawsuit for Southern Ag Today here.  On Monday, I will have a more detailed summary posted on the Texas Agriculture Law Blog as well. * USDA updates HPAI outbreak in dairy cattle status.  The USDA… Read More →

April 12, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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The agricultural news continues to roll in from across the country. *Texas farmers file discrimination lawsuit against USDA.  Several Texas farmers have filed suit in federal court against the USDA claiming that in administering payment programs, the USDA illegally discriminated on the basis of race and sex.  Specifically, the farmers argue that the USDA improperly used different payment calculation methods for “socially disadvantaged” farmers (American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Asians, Asian-Americans, blacks/African-Americans, Hispanics, Hispanic-Americans, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, and women) than it did for those farmers not… Read More →

March 29, 2024 Weekly Round Up

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We’ve made it through another week and have another long list of ag law news from around the country! *Avian influenza found in dairy cows in Texas and Kansas and goat in Minnesota.  State agencies announced this week that a disease found in some dairy cows in Texas and Kansas was identified as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).  A goat in Minnesota on a farm where chickens had the virus also recently tested positive as well.  The USDA believes the source of HPAI at the dairies is migratory… Read More →