Suing the EPA & Lowering Personal Income Tax

Suing the EPA & Lowering Personal Income Tax plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Environmental Protection Agency wetlands regulations this week that could have far reaching impacts for agriculture. An Idaho couple is asking the high court to let it sue the EPA before it must comply with the agency’s order to protect wetland on its subdivision lot. Lower courts have said no. American Farm Bureau Lawyer Danielle Quist says whether landowners can have their day in court before compliance is key for agriculture. AFBF and other ag groups have filed friend of the court briefs.

QUIST: This is very much a case for individual rights of landowners and when they can exercise those rights. Versus they way it works right now you have to stand by and do what the EPA and the Corp of Engineers tell you to do. You’re at their mercy.

Speaking of Idaho, Gov. Butch Otter is favoring a plan to lower Idaho's personal income tax rate, if the state has the tax revenue to cover it. Otter favors trimming the personal rate from 7.8 percent to 7.6 percent, the going rate for corporations and says such a move would help small businesses subject to the personal income tax rate. He'd consider reducing tax rates, too, but would like to see it accompanied by dumping some of Idaho's existing tax breaks.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

McDonald’s, which has been under fire over the last several years for their foods nutritional content, has decided to begin a new ad campaign that they hope will take the mystery out of their meat. This new ad campaign features ag producers from across the country in an attempt to educate consumers on how the food gets from the farms and ranches to the restaurants. A spokesperson for McDonald’s says, “the campaign will showcase the hardworking farmers and ranchers who not only share, but uphold McDonald’s mission and standards to deliver safe, high quality food to their consumers.” Of course this campaign won’t come without its critics but it’s a great opportunity for consumer agricultural education, and the farmers and ranchers participating in the ad campaigns are eager to reach that large portion of the population who really want to know how their food makes it to their dinner table. Regardless of whether or not someone is a McDonald’s fan, this is a great idea whose time has come; the partnering of beef, potato, and veggie producers with restaurant chains in order to connect consumers to producers.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.