House Republicans preparing plan for immigration overhaul [New York Times]
The
House speaker, John A. Boehner, and his Republican leadership team are
preparing to release their principles for an overhaul of the nation’s
immigration laws later this month, the speaker told his members at a
closed-door conference on Wednesday. Though the “standards or principles
document,” as Mr. Boehner of Ohio referred to the white paper in the meeting,
has long been in the works, its imminent release reflects a broader push within
the Republican conference to put forth its own proposals as a counterpoint to
legislation in the Democratic-controlled Senate….The goal of the principles is
to gauge the Republican conference’s willingness to tackle immigration this
year, as well as to receive feedback from lawmakers before embarking on a
legislative strategy.
Farm bill talks
nearing conclusion with about $9 billion in food stamp cuts [Washington Post]
Negotiations
are almost complete on a long-overdue farm bill that will set new spending
levels for the federal food stamp program and add yet another wrinkle to the
national debate over income inequality as Congress mulls how to help unemployed
and low-wage workers. Leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees
had planned to announce a deal on a new multiyear farm bill this week, but
aides familiar with the talks said any such announcement might be pushed into
next week because of differences about price controls on the nation’s dairy
industry….Aides familiar with the negotiations said the most significant
unresolved issue is whether to end price controls on the dairy industry, which
Republicans argue have cost taxpayers billions of dollars and needlessly drive
up the cost of milk, cheese and yogurt….Stabenow and House Agriculture
Committee Chairman Frank D. Lucas (R-Okla.) led closed-door talks on the issue
Wednesday, and Lucas described the topic as “a real challenge.”
Assemblyman Dan Logue
moves ahead with a storage-only water bond [Chico Enterprise-Record]
"The
other water bond" has moved a step closer to a vote, with the introduction
of legislation by Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Loma Rica. Logue said his $5.8
billion bond focuses solely on new surface and groundwater storage projects,
"without the pork" of the water bond people have been hearing about
for years. Assembly Bill 1445 needs approval from the Legislature, and later the
governor, before it moves along….Logue said the Legislature will have decide on
his bill by March, and if it isn't passed he'll start collecting signatures
from citizens.
http://www.chicoer.com/breakingnews/ci_24875047/assemblyman-dan-logue-moves-ahead-storage-only-water
Drought severely
affecting some local ranchers and farmers [KSBY TV, San Luis Obispo]
The
state of California is on the edge of an emergency drought declaration, and
some local farmers and ranchers said they are feeling the brunt of the lack of
rain…."Having adequate rainfall is very imperative to the success of our
company," said Dan Sutton, the general manager for Pismo Oceano Vegetable
Exchange….Sutton said his crops, which include nappa cabbage, bok choy,
Shanghai bok choy, and Asian-cut broccoli crowns, could suffer if the skies
don't produce more water for them. He said, "We're off to a slow start
this season already, and if you look historically when we get off to a slow
start like this, we're just very nervous about what's to come." Sutton is
not the only Central Coast agriculturalist worried about the future. Some
members of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau said the drought is forcing
some ranchers to sell their cattle. No rain means no grass to graze, and the
cost to feed cows only bales of hay is often too high.
Commentary: This drought may be worst yet for San Joaquin Valley
[Modesto Bee]
It’s
official, 2013 was the driest year on record in California. The driest year in
modern memory was 1976-77. That year, the Stanislaus River watershed had just
6.24 inches of rain from July 1 through Dec. 31. Last year was worse, with only
4.30 inches. We are starting 2014 at an astounding 31 percent below the driest
year on record.…If the heavens open and give us the average precipitation from
now through July, we’d still be 25 percent below normal for the year….It is
common for longtime residents in the Central Valley to say, “I hope we never
see anything like 1977 again.” Unfortunately, we are seeing it again and unless
things improve, 1977 might look like the good old days.
Work at Livingston
Foster Farms plant suspended after cockroaches found [Modesto Bee]
Federal
inspectors suspended processing at the Foster Farms chicken plant Wednesday
because of a cockroach infestation that raised concerns about human health. The
company said only five cockroaches were found in the massive plant over the
past four months, but it carried out “enhanced sanitizing” Wednesday and
expects it to reopen soon. It also said no products have been affected. The
Food Safety and Inspection Service ordered the temporary closure, just three
months after threatening the same thing because of salmonella problems at the
Livingston plant and two Foster Farms sites in Fresno. The plants stayed in
operation after the company, one of the Northern San Joaquin Valley’s largest
employers, agreed to improve its safeguards.
Ag
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