The Legislature will once again consider expanding farmworker housing this year. Assembly Ag Chair Esmeralda Soria has filed a measure to exempt permitting requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act for Fresno, Madera and Merced counties. The exemption would extend to a 15-mile radius around farms and grazing lands.
The Merced-based Democrat said this approach would expand the supply of low-cost housing for farmworkers. The district bill has the backing of the Firebaugh mayor and a Merced County supervisor.
Remember: Last year Asm. Gail Pellerin of Santa Cruz successfully pitched a CEQA exemption for farmworker housing in her district. Gov. Gavin Newsom also signed a measure to open temporary farmworker housing centers year-round. Yet former Asm. Carlos Villapudua of Stockton attempted a bill to expedite on-farm housing and failed to get it out of committee.
Farmworkers join Wonderful in UFW lawsuit
Last year the Wonderful Co. filed a lawsuit against the Agricultural Labor Relations Board over its decision to certify a United Farm Workers petition at its Wasco nursery.
The company claimed the union misled workers into signing ballot cards under the state’s new and controversial card check system. Now 20 of those workers have filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to the farmworkers.
Foundation President Mark Mix said the employees are fighting UFW lawyers along with “the full weight of California’s top-down, draconian labor policy.” He argues card check enables union bosses “to sweep workers under their control” and have the government impose union dues over the objections of workers and businesses.
Trump says ‘reciprocal’ tariff announcement coming next week
President Donald Trump said Friday he would likely announce “reciprocal” tariffs on U.S. trading partners next week.
Asked during the a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba whether he would impose new duties on Japan, the president instead said categorically, “we're going to have tariffs.”
Trump said that he would hold a meeting “Monday or Tuesday” on a new “reciprocal” tariff, “where a country pays so much, or charges us so much, and we do the same.” The announcement would likely come in a later news conference, Trump said.
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
Dismantling of USAID halted temporarily, but catches innovation labs
A federal judge is slowing down the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols sided with federal unions on Friday, stopping the administration’s attempt to put 2,500 workers on administrative leave. In all, the plans are to slash USAID from 14,000 workers to fewer than 300. The judge said the workers would suffer “irreparable harm.”
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Innovation labs are a victim: However, the Trump administration’s efforts to essentially eliminate USAID and halt foreign aid have ensnared Feed the Future Innovation Labs at U.S. land-grant universities.
The Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will close April 15, because of a cessation of USAID funding, lab director Peter Goldsmith said on LinkedIn.
“Today I had to let go of a staff of 30,” Goldsmith said Feb. 8. “These individuals are not only unique experts in the field of tropical soybean, but also close colleagues and friends who are now unexpectedly out of work. The land-grant system now loses 19 crown jewel innovation labs, across 17 states, that delivered high and measurable impact on very little investment.”
In addition, said Goldsmith, “U.S. soybean farmers lose one of their best tools to expand their markets and U.S. standards globally.”
By the way: “The economic benefit of the innovation lab investments over the past 40 years are at least $8.4 billion, eight times total program costs,” the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities said in a fact sheet. “A partial analysis of the return on investment of the ILs indicates that 80% of the benefits go to individuals with incomes under $5.50/day.”
Read our full report at Agri-Pulse.com.
Senate action set for RFK Jr., Rollins
Senate GOP leaders have teed up action on five more nominations, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of health and human services, and Brooke Rollins to be secretary of agriculture.
Rollins’ nomination isn’t controversial. As for Kennedy, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., has become an outspoken supporter of him despite his continued criticism of conventional agriculture. And Marshall is expressing confidence that Kennedy will be confirmed as well.
Johnson: Timing for budget resolution may slip again
House Republicans continue struggling to agree on a blueprint for spending and tax cuts. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News on Sunday that a budget resolution may not be ready for committee action this week. But he insisted that the GOP was “very, very close” to a deal.
“We were going to do a Budget Committee markup this week. We might push it a little bit further, because the details really matter.”
Johnson also defended the House GOP’s one-bill approach to enacting President Trump’s policy priorities.
Keep in mind: Senate Republicans are sticking to a two-step approach. The Senate Budget Committee has scheduled two days of meetings this week to consider its FY25 budget resolution, which will be focused on increasing spending for border security and the military. Tax cuts will be left for later.
