State Question 832, a ballot measure to raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage, has been set for 2026 instead of the November ballot.

SQ 832 aims to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2029.

Both the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association confirmed their opposition to the State Question on Wednesday when contacted by the Oklahoma Farm Report.

Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey offered this statement of the cattle producer group being in opposition- “Earlier this spring, OCA adopted policy opposing the passage of State Question 832. While the main push of the question is to set a higher minimum wage and then tie it to annual increases based upon a federal index, OCA’s main opposition is to striking the language protecting agriculture workers. The Question ignores the unique nature of working in agriculture which everyone in rural Oklahoma knows is not tied to a clock. SQ 832 will have devastating impacts on agriculture therefore OCA is strongly opposed.”

Farm Director KC Sheperd talked to Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Rodd Moesel on Wednesday who told her “Our board has been very concerned and the word we have been hearing from our members is not so much the $15.00 an hour at the start…but it’s setting a permanent increase that will be tied each year based on a federal cost of living index.”

Moesel says the general farm group is also worried that it will remove all of the ag labor exemptions at the state level for overtime that can cause problems at harvest and more.

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Congressman Frank Lucas Leaders Debate on Adding Ag Secretary to CFIUS

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives considered H.R. 9456, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024. 

H.R. 9456, introduced by Congressman Dan Newhouse, will codify a set of policies that were enacted under the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, including Rep. Lucas’s bill to add the Secretary of Agriculture as a member on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Agricultural Security Risk Review Act. (Watch Congressman Lucas on the House Floor in the video above)

Congressman Frank Lucas led debate of H.R. 9456 on the House floor saying "“The bill is straightforward: It adds the Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States—CFIUS—for any transaction related to the purchase of agriculture land, agricultural biotechnology, or any other transaction related to the U.S. agriculture industry. 

“The bill also provides a mechanism for USDA to notify CFIUS of particularly sensitive agriculture transactions. Then, the interagency process must determine whether a review is appropriate.

“This legislation guarantees that the Agriculture Secretary will have a seat at the table. 

“Ag Secretary Perdue during the Trump Administration and Secretary Vilsack under this Administration both agree that being a permanent member of CFIUS is necessary."

The House did pass measure later in the day.

Don Close of Terrain- Current Interest Rate Levels a Barrier to Rebuild US Beef Cow Herd

After a long period of ‘cheap money” that a of farmers and ranchers have gotten used to- the recent increases in borrowing costs have added to the list of inputs that have risen over the last couple of years. That’s the word from Don Close, Chief Research & Analytics Officer for Terrain.

Close talked about interest rates and their impact on beef cattle producers in a recent podcast for the American Angus Association- and Oklahoma Farm Report Senior Broadcaster Ron Hays features his comments in this edition of the Beef Buzz.

Close says that current interest rates are basically double that of just a couple of years ago- one of the reasons that there has been a huge push for the Federal Reserve to lower the basis, which may happen here in the short term.

But Close says that a couple of big picture influences will likely keep interest rates over the long haul closer to where they are today. He says “If you just look at the level of federal debt- if you look at the changing demographics of the baby boomers retiring out against the smaller Gen X- Gen Z workforce- those two factors alone will be pushing interest rates higher long term.”

Click on the Blue Button below to read more and to listen toe Hays and Close on how interest rates are likely causing many cattle producers to rethink how quick they may start holding heifers back to rebuild the US beef cow herd.

Editor's Note- Alex Cameron is based in Washington by Griffin and he posted this story on the News on 6 website on Wednesday about the Oklahoma perspective on needing a farm bill NOW:

One of the things Congress needs to get done in the next few weeks is to pass an extension of the Farm Bill, parts of which will begin to expire at the end of the month.

But many who make their living in agriculture, including some from Oklahoma, have been in the nation’s capital this week telling members an extension isn’t good enough.

To be clear, farmers and ranchers are already operating under a yearlong extension of the 2018 Farm Bill and they trying to say, in one loud, clear voice, too much has changed in six years — passage of a new bill is critical

“We’re under financial strain as farmers right now,” said Alva’s Kent Martin, a board member on the National Sorghum Producers.

Martin was one in a group of farmers 

lobbying Wednesday in the office of Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith. Together, the group represented several commodities, which he says is fairly unusual.

“This kind of push hasn't been done since the 80s, where multiple commodities all came together, all unified on one very, very loud and clear message,” said Martin. “And that message is: get a Farm Bill done.”

In the group with Martin was Sentinel's Jimmie Musick, past National Association of Wheat Growers president. He says Frank Lucas and the Oklahoma delegation understand what they're facing, but he says plenty of others in Congress don't--they think agriculture is doing well.

“They really don’t understand in the slightest,” Musick said in an interview, “that agriculture’s not doing all right.”

While inflation has pushed up input costs (fuel, fertilizer, seed, etc.), the prices of wheat, corn, soy and other major commodities are down more than 40% in the last two years.

Musick says the reference prices in the current Farm Bill are just too low.



“It’s probably 20 or 30%, at a minimum, too low,” Musick explained, “and farmers can’t make it work like that.”

In efforts that actually began in his first time around as Secretary of Ag in the Obama Administration- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack continues to push for the USDA packers and stockyards rules, noting four proposed rules, with a fifth in progress.

The transparency rule, which primarily affects the poultry line and requires more transparency about who the involved parties are doing business with, is finalized. The market integrity rule is finalized, saying you cannot discriminate or retaliate.

The Poultry tournament rule is under review after the comment period ended on August 6. That rule involves creating a more fair tournament system. Vilsack said they will review those comments, hoping to finalize the rule by the end of the year.

The fair competition rule, which the Secretary contends addresses harm to competition, has a comment period ending on September 11. Vilsack said they will analyze the comments once commenting has ended and then propose it for final. Vilsack said he would also like to see this rule complete by the end of the year.

Two groups released details of their comments that were submitted on the final day of comments being accepted by USDA for the Fair Competition rule as described by Secretary Vilsack in the story above.

The National Chicken Council (NCC) today strongly urged USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to withdraw its proposed rule, “Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets,” which reflects an impermissible attempt to make an end-run around established judicial precedent requiring a showing of injury to competition to sue and win under Section 202(a) or (b) of the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA). 

“Worse than a solution in search of a problem, the proposed rule would cause widespread confusion and inflict staggering costs on the meat and poultry industries, ultimately to the detriment of American consumers,” said NCC Interim President Gary Kushner.

Read their release by clicking here.

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Meanwhile-

The Meat Institute today submitted comments documenting the many flaws and costs of the latest proposed rules change to the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) by the Biden Administration.

In the proposed rule, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attempts to circumvent Congress and the courts to reverse the longstanding legal standard that a plaintiff must demonstrate harm to competition to sue and win under the Packers and Stockyards Act Section 202(a) or (b).

“This position was wrong before and is wrong now,” said Mark Dopp, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of the Meat Institute.

In addition to documenting the legal precedent and the intent of Congress, the Meat Institute’s comments show how the proposed rule violates the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act because of its breadth and vagueness.

“Changing the harm to competition standard requires Congressional action and that fact is highlighted by the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA,” said Dopp. “In addition, the proposal includes standards so vague that, if adopted, it would be impossible for a regulated entity to know how to comply.”

Read more about the comments submitted by the Meat Institute by clicking here