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The American Farm Bureau Federation, in its ongoing campaign demanding passage of federal legislation to override the Supreme Court's Kelo decision, submitted a written statement Sept. 26, to the House Judiciary Committee.
The statement expressed Farm Bureau members' opposition to allowing governments to use eminent domain for private economic development projects. AFBF President Bob Stallman said, "After Kelo, no property is secure. Any property can be seized and transferred to the highest bidder, and we must eliminate this practice."
In Kelo v. The City of New London, Conn., the Supreme Court ruled that an individual's land can be condemned by local governments to be handed over to private developers for projects that might increase tax income, unless state law specifically denies local governments from doing so.
AFBF pointed out, "Agricultural lands are particularly vulnerable to these types of actions. The fair market value of agricultural land is less than residential and commercial property, making a condemnation of agricultural land less costly."
An example AFBF cited to the subcommittee outlined how a Christmas tree farm and two homes near Bristol, Conn., were condemned so the city could establish a future industrial park.
AFBF is calling on Congress to ensure that state and local governments cannot use any federal tax dollars for economic development that uses eminent domain. Farm Bureau is supportive of legislation that has been introduced.
H.R. 3405, introduced by Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) and Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.), provides the most effective deterrent to the use of eminent domain for private development. This legislation would deny all federal economic development assistance to a state if there was any use of eminent domain for economic development that transferred private property from one private entity to another.
AFBF is asking for swift passage of legislation by the full House to impede the Kelo ruling being used to allow land-grabbing from farmers or ranchers.
AFBF has also initiated a Stop Taking Our Property (STOP) campaign designed to educate the public about the impacts of the Kelo decision and to provide materials to help state Farm Bureaus address the issue on a state by state basis.
Beef Value Cuts—such as the Flat Iron Steak—have found great success with the restaurant industry in recent years, and are now gaining momentum in the retail meat case. These cuts are the result of muscle profiling research funded by the Beef Checkoff Program, producing steak from tender cuts of beef that were historically made into ground beef.
Kroger, one of the nation's largest supermarket chains, debuted the Flat Iron Steak in 116 Houston-area stores beginning in late July. The Flat Iron was promoted in Kroger stores through numerous grilling demonstrations, as well as radio, billboard and point-of-sale advertising. The national Beef Checkoff Program, Texas Beef Council and Tyson Foods partnered with Kroger for this promotional effort.
"The Texas Beef Council saw this as a great opportunity to work with our partners at Kroger, Tyson and the national Beef Checkoff Program to focus a program on one cut—the Flat Iron Steak—and launch that product in Houston-area stores," said Russell Woodward, senior manager for product marketing for the Texas Beef Council. "The Flat Iron is a delicious and economical beef cut that simply needs greater exposure in the retail meat case. This promotion—especially the in-store demos that actually get samples into the consumer's mouths—has been highly successful."
Stores holding in-store demos sold an average of 40 to 60 units per day of the Flat Iron Steak, with some stores selling more than 100, he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency has no plans to issue a nationwide waiver for use of higher sulfur diesel fuel for on-road use. A recent waiver that allows off-road fuel with a higher sulfur content to be used on the road ended Oct. 5. That waiver covered 24 states, including Texas and the Gulf Coast, as well as the District of Columbia.
According to an EPA representative, the agency has been in touch with fuel refiners and reports that there is not a shortage of low-sulfur diesel.
The Internal Revenue Service offered penalty relief nationwide for use of dyed diesel fuel through Oct. 5. Any dyed diesel fuel held by retailers or users on Oct. 5, may still be used on the highway after that date.
The Agriculture Department has announced its selection of 12 1890s Land Grant Universities to receive $1.2 million in funding to support technology and business development assistance in rural communities.
"The 1890 colleges and universities play a key role in providing technical assistance and business development leadership to rural minority communities," said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.
The 1890 Institutions have some of the finest agricultural science and business education programs in the nation and, in partnership with USDA, they have devoted significant resources to business development and technical assistance in local communities, Johanns said.
Those institutions receiving $100,000 each include: Tuskegee University, Ala.; University of Arkansas, Ark.; Delaware State University, Del.; Florida A&M University, Fla.; Fort Valley State University, Ga.; Southern University and A&M College, La.; Langston University, Okla.; South Carolina State University, S.C.; Prairie View A&M University, Tex.; Virginia State University, Va.; and West Virginia State College, W. Va.
Receiving $99,053 in assistance was Alcorn State University, Miss.
—President George W. Bush, speaking during a Sept. 26 visit to U.S. Energy Department headquarters preceding a visit to hurricane-ravaged Port Arthur and Beaumont where 16 refineries were offline.
