Video & Transcript Research : 'ranching'
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WY
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh legacy ranching families in Wyoming.
- because we come from that ranching because we come from that ranching heritage.<02:43:07.359>
- for many years, which is no longer Terry Bison Ranch.
- for many years, which is no longer Terry Bison Ranch.
- for many years, which is no longer Terry Bison Ranch.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
AGR Public Hearing - Fri Jan 31, 2025 @ 10:00 AM HST
Agriculture & Food Systems
Transcript Highlights:
- 39.720>
the systems or whatever the farmers got the systems or whatever the farmers got the ranch - Can you give a little more insight into how long these leases have been ranching on those lands?
- These ranching lands are not that big in totality of your entire portfolio.
- lands are not that big in ranching lands are not that big in totality<00:35:58.560>
of <00:35: - those all are examples of where ranching those all are examples of where DNR<00:38:43.000>
is
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- We also have 640 acres of family-owned ranch land in Hunt County, uh, in Cattle Mills, and we've decided
- We even have a program which you all voted to improve last night, the Farm and ranch lands Conservation
- We use it very effectively on our ranch. It's, it's essential for re-establishing quail.
- Our ranch was the, uh, the initial ranch for the reintroduction of the eastern turkey.
- Uh, we welcome you to come up to our ranch.
Bills:
HB 937, HB 2078, HB 2080, HB 3322, HB 3350, HB 4212, HB 4630, HB 4896, HB 4951, HB 5348, HB 5675, SB 565, SB 971, SB 1662, SB 2124
Keywords:
special districts, notice requirements, Water Code, government transparency, public meetings, meeting notice, transparency, public engagement, notice, elections, groundwater management, water conservation, joint planning, environmental impact, desired future conditions, groundwater, conservation district, environmental quality, regulatory review, water utility
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- conglomerate of constituents who have noticed an ever-growing problem affecting animals at their ranches
- We have also seen cases affecting cattle, horses, and other ranch animals.
- We have also seen cases similar to affecting cattle, horses, and other ranch animals.
- They travel into all the surrounding ranch lands.
- Litter that ends up scattered all across our state on farms, ranches, parks, bays, beaches, roadways,
Summary:
The committee first heard House Bill 1904, which would classify intentionally released helium balloons as litter and create criminal penalties for balloon releases. The author and supportive witnesses argued that balloon releases harm wildlife, livestock, waterways, and infrastructure, and that the bill would close a loophole in current litter law. Several members questioned whether criminal penalties were appropriate, and the author said he was willing to work toward civil penalties and fines instead. No vote was taken, and HB 1904 was left pending.
The committee then took up several pending bills and reported them favorably to the full House, including HB 3249, HB 3866, HB 4112, HB 1768, HB 1499, HB 573, and HB 464. These measures dealt with topics such as TCEQ contested-case procedures, outdoor storage containers, high-level radioactive waste, concrete plant permitting and grants, unannounced concrete batch plant inspections, and a scrap tire grant program. Most were adopted with substitutes and passed on recorded votes, generally with unanimous or near-unanimous support.
A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 3997, which would create expedited permitting timelines for LNG facilities and related wastewater permits. Industry witnesses said the bill would provide certainty for multibillion-dollar projects without eliminating public participation, while environmental groups opposed parts of the bill that they said could limit contested-case participation and be unrealistic for SOAH timelines. TCEQ staff described the current wastewater permitting process and said some of the bill’s timing provisions could be workable, especially with an expedited fee. The bill was left pending after the author said he would continue working on committee substitute language.
The committee also heard HB 1237 on extending the renewal window for expired TCEQ occupational water licenses, and HB 4519, a TERP consolidation bill that would combine several clean transportation grant programs into fewer programs. HB 1237 was left pending without testimony, while HB 4519 drew broad support from environmental and industry witnesses who favored simplifying the program, though some asked for stronger emphasis on particulate matter and hydrogen funding. The committee withdrew the substitute on HB 4519 and left it pending. Finally, HB 5033, which would eliminate the motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program if federal authority changes, drew opposition from environmental and inspection-industry witnesses who warned it would weaken air-quality protections and could remove an important enforcement tool. The author said the bill was intended as a trigger mechanism and would be refined, and HB 5033 was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1227 on municipal solid-waste franchise fees and private-provider access; the author said he would bring a substitute after hearing concerns from cities, and the bill was left pending.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Jan 12th, 2026
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Over time, the ranch grew from just 400 acres to 5,000 acres. A dream came true for Edwin.
- It was on this ranch that every day Edwin would raise the American flag each morning and lower it each
- Outside of the ranch, Edwin also was a dedicated member of our community.
- His legacy will live on with his family at the ranch.
Summary:
The Assembly met in session after a quorum call, with the clerk calling the roll and a quorum eventually declared present. The day began with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by routine procedural actions: the previous day’s journal was dispensed with, committee reports were deemed read, and several motions were approved, including unanimous consent to allow specified members to speak on adjournments in memory and to let Assemblymember Ortega have guests in the rear of the chamber. The body also gave one-day notice to remove SB 25 from the inactive file.
On the daily file, Assembly Bill 673 was read with amendments and the amendments were deemed adopted. Concurrent items 2 and 3, Governor’s vetoes in items 4 through 77, reconsideration items 79 through 81, and third-reading items 82 through 84 were passed and retained or continued as noted. No substantive floor debate occurred on legislation during the session, which was described as a very short session.
Most of the meeting was devoted to adjournment-in-memory tributes. Members honored Monica Lynn Martinez Hayes, a Capitol scheduler and artist; Edwin Silva Brazil, a dairyman and community leader; Grand Master Deng Huiduk, a martial arts instructor and mentor; victims of a Stockton shooting, including four young people; and the victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Several members spoke about the fire victims by name and emphasized recovery, resilience, and the need to support affected communities. A moment of silence was observed, the names were ordered printed in the journal, and the House adjourned until Friday, January 16 at 9 a.m.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/19/2026 - House Rural Economic Development
Rural Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- spanning from the high-end resorts of Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, and Miraval, down to the dude ranches
- , White Stallion Ranch, and Marana, Tanque Verde Ranch, and the Tanque Verde Valley.
- and spanning from the high-end resorts of Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain, and Mirval, down to the dude ranches
- , White Stallion Ranch, and Marana, Tank of Verde Ranch, and the Tank of Verde Valley.
Keywords:
SNAP, nutrition assistance, fast food, vitamins, waiver, food policy, municipal planning, homeowner association, building permits, single-family home, property rights, design standards, development fees, municipalities, infrastructure, public services, annual reporting, property development, tourism improvement area, TIA
Summary:
The Rural Economic Development Committee first took up HB 2950, which would allow governing bodies to approve tourism improvement areas to promote lodging and tourism as an economic development tool. Supporters from the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association, Visit Yuma, and Visit Phoenix said tourism is a major economic driver, especially in rural communities, and argued the bill would give local areas a voluntary, industry-led way to market themselves, attract visitors, and support jobs without raising taxes on residents. Members discussed tourism in places such as Yuma and other rural destinations, and the committee voted 7-0 to give HB 2950 a do pass recommendation.
The committee then heard a presentation on rural economic development centered on Lucid Motors’ investment in Pinal County and its partnership with Central Arizona College. Speakers from the Arizona Commerce Authority, Central Arizona College, and Lucid described workforce training programs, including the Drive48 accelerator, which they said has helped train workers for advanced manufacturing jobs and raised local incomes. The committee read proclamations recognizing both Lucid Motors and Central Arizona College for their contributions to job creation, workforce development, and economic growth in rural Arizona.
Finally, the committee considered HB 2946, which would revise development fee requirements, including changes affecting the timing and administration of fees and a prohibition on charging development fees for accessory dwelling units. The sponsor and housing advocates said the bill was intended to help address housing affordability and give developers more predictable costs, while city and league representatives opposed it, arguing it would shift costs from growth to existing taxpayers and interfere with local infrastructure planning. After adopting an amendment that removed county-related provisions and made clarifying changes, the committee passed HB 2946 on a 4-1 vote with two members present, and the meeting adjourned.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Law & Justice Jun 4th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Barty Ranch, where children were being horrifically raped.
- Barty Ranch.
- Of course, there's that same duty that we recognized in OK Boys Ranch when we're talking about group
- Bardi ranches. So there hasn't been a significant change in law.
- State came out in 1995 as OK Boys Ranch is breaking as a news story.
Summary:
The committee held a work session on tort liability and parole, with the chair explaining that the topics were linked because criminal justice reform and state liability often intersect, especially in cases involving child welfare and corrections. Staff first outlined Washington’s tort liability framework, including the state’s broad waiver of sovereign immunity, statutes governing mandatory reporting and investigation of abuse, the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations, and the lack of caps on non-economic damages. Staff and presenters also compared Washington to other states and noted that Washington remains among the broadest states for state liability and childhood sexual abuse claims.
Presenters from the Attorney General’s office, Washington State Association for Justice, DCYF, DSHS, and DOC discussed how tort exposure has grown, especially in claims involving DCYF, historical child abuse, juvenile rehabilitation, vulnerable adults, employment discrimination, medical negligence, and negligent supervision. DCYF and AG staff said claims and payouts are rising, with many claims tied to older abuse and new theories of liability, while defense counsel emphasized the human harm behind the claims and argued that tort cases have historically driven accountability and reform. Agency witnesses said they face large volumes of old claims with limited records, rising verdicts and settlements, and staffing and systems challenges, and they highlighted efforts such as early resolution programs, electronic health records, medication-assisted treatment, and improved incident review processes.
The committee then shifted to parole. Sentencing experts reviewed Washington’s move from indeterminate sentencing to the current determinate sentencing system under the Sentencing Reform Act, and explained how parole could be integrated with sentencing guidelines through different models used in other states. They also summarized Criminal Sentencing Task Force recommendations related to a determinate-plus approach for three-strikes and persistent offender laws and a second-chance review process, noting there was no consensus on those ideas. Judges from the Minority and Justice Commission and the Superior Court Judges Association said a parole system could support rehabilitation and reduce disparities if it includes data collection, fairness, transparency, due process, and meaningful judicial review; they also pointed to research suggesting parole and structured reentry can reduce recidivism and costs, while warning that access and outcomes can vary by geography and other factors.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I've developed over 25,000 acres of small farm ranches.
- I've developed over 25,000 acres of small farm ranches in the Hill Country.
- It's going to make small farm ranches very unaffordable for average Texans.
- I'm Jimmy Reed with my feed store, Colony Ranch Supply. I just urge y'all to support this bill.
- Ranch has marked him. Pop Laurie Michelle, come on out. Ryan, go ahead and state your name.
Bills:
SB467, SB325, SB867, SB994, SB1052, SB1237, SB1449, SB1531, SB2063, SB2172, SB2173, SB2520, SB2529, SB2538, SB2541, SJR46, SJR84
Keywords:
SB 467, Texas property tax, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, residence homestead, fire damage, house fire, destroyed home, temporary tax relief, appraisal district, chief appraiser, local taxing unit, tax rollback, tax refund, Tax Code Chapter 11, prorated exemption, homestead improvement, disaster relief, property tax exemption, residential property
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Mar 31st, 2025
Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- Heritage members like King Ranch and the Four Sixes are well-known, but most don't recognize that 75%
- No matter the size or the type of operation, we have a love for the land, the cattle, and the ranching
- I'm here representing the Giddings Economic Development as well as myself, a ranch owner.
- I run a ranch with several hundred head of cattle, on about a thousand acres.
- I farm and ranch in Bell County.
Bills:
SB34, SB119, SB261, SB532, SB1035, SB1245, SB1247, SB1267, SB1442, SB1930, SB1948, SB2078, SB2112, SB2143, SB2155
Keywords:
wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading, fuel reduction, firefighting equipment database, emergency communications, disaster preparedness, rural fire protection, asset hardening, natural resource management, emergency management, large wildfire risk, fire grant funding, fire suppression, Texas Legislature
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- And this is at the request of many of our farmers who are asking for help in learning how Kualoa Ranch
- And this is at the request of many of our farmers who are asking for help in learning how Kualoa Ranch
- did it, how Kuahuku Farms did Kuoa Ranch did it, how Kuahuku Farms did it,<00:10:53.600>
and < - Not every farmer, ranch, or agriculture business would like to do agritourism.
- revenue to the farm business or ranch revenue to the farm business or ranch business<00:21:55.120
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on HB 449 relating to economic development, HB 1006 relating to the Agribusiness Development Corporation, and then began HB 1467 relating to housing resiliency. On HB 449, Director Wayne Enoy of the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation and several business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce and Hawaii Food Industry Association, testified in strong support. They said the measure would help local manufacturers and tech-focused businesses adapt to uncertainty around tariffs and federal funding pauses, diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy, and expand workforce training and apprenticeship efforts tied to innovation and manufacturing.
The bulk of the discussion focused on HB 1006 and proposed agritourism authority for ADC. ADC, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and other supporters said agritourism can be a value-added tool that helps farmers diversify income while keeping agriculture as the primary use of the land. One testifier opposed the bill’s direction without stronger guardrails, urging that a high percentage of revenue or land use remain tied to actual agricultural production. Committee members questioned ADC and Farm Bureau witnesses about how much land should remain in production, whether agritourism could expand on public lands, how enforcement would work, and whether responsibilities should be shifted from the Department of Agriculture’s marketing functions to ADC. Witnesses said ADC currently has no tenants engaged in agritourism, but would support standards, annual reporting, site visits, and the ability to reclaim land if production requirements are not met.
No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided. After concluding HB 1006 testimony and questions, the committee moved on to HB 1467 and called the first witness, Luke Meyers, before the transcript ended.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Agriculture and Wildlife REVISED Apr 23rd, 2026 at 08:30 am
Agriculture and Wildlife
Transcript Highlights:
- So, how there's mychniman was raised on a 1/5 generation farm and ranch in Garber, Oklahoma.
- Upon graduation, Tyler moved home to Garber to continue his legacy of farming and ranching alongside
- to Tyler than knowing that the next generation is anxious to continue his legacy of farming and ranching
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Land Grant Aug 14th, 2025
House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- and Internet of Things as it applies to Precision ranching.
- And he's gonna talk to you about what we're doing with artificial intelligence and the precision ranching
- When you come to farming and ranching, you don't want people to necessarily know anything about what
- I think it's a great opportunity for kids to want to get into farming and ranching.
- Right, cell service there's not a lot of it in some of these ranching areas.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- All of these problems started after a neighboring farm began applying biosolids across from our ranch
- Sondra Trawick on behalf of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches and on behalf of yourself for the... bill
- I am the founder of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches.
- Okay, I show you registered to testify as Hannah Trawick on behalf of Save Oklahoma Farms and Ranches
- Across the United States, farms, ranches, and rural communities are now facing the unimaginable.
Keywords:
hydrogen sulfide, public health, environmental regulation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ground level concentrations, emissions limit, emissions limits, ground-level concentrations, air quality, PFAS, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, criminal offense, chemical regulation, preproduction plastic, water quality, pollution control, industrial waste, emissions
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Natural Resources Committee Apr 7th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Often these parks have existing ranch roads and trails that are already interconnected with our existing
- ranch roads and trails inside the parks. for folks when they had existing ranch roads so that the public
- roads and trails that are already interconnected with our existing ranch roads and trails inside the
- Roads and trails that are already interconnected with our existing ranch roads and trails inside the
- It's also worth noting that often these lands were formerly ranches or timber holdings, only accessible
Summary:
The committee heard a long agenda of natural resources and related bills, with several measures taken up as the committee reached quorum and many others moving on consent or with due-pass recommendations. Early items included AB 80 on carpet recycling, AB 452 creating a local process for state surf reserves, and AB 823 restricting microplastics in personal care and cleaning products. AB 80 drew broad support from recycling, labor, and environmental groups and was described as a follow-up to earlier carpet recycling reforms. AB 452 was backed by surf, tourism, environmental, and local government interests as a voluntary, community-driven way to recognize and protect surf breaks. AB 823 generated the most extensive debate, with supporters citing public health and environmental harms from microplastics and opponents warning the bill’s language could sweep in products such as sunscreens, cosmetics, and fragrance-encapsulation materials; the committee discussed possible ambiguity and EU comparisons before voting the bill out on a due-pass-as-amended basis to Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.
The committee also advanced AB 1046, which would create a narrow exemption from SB 1383 organic-waste requirements for certain crop preparers and tree nut processors that do not send organic waste to landfills. Agricultural witnesses said the bill would clarify that their operations already reuse byproducts and should not face duplicative reporting, and the measure passed with support from agricultural and rural county representatives. AB 252, the “Stop Laying Off Firefighters Act,” proposed year-round Cal Fire staffing; the author and Cal Fire supporters argued that wildfire conditions are now year-round and that maintaining trained crews would improve response and prevention, and the bill was sent to Appropriations. AB 571, a targeted CEQA exemption for the Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Anaheim, drew strong bipartisan and veterans’ support and also passed out.
Later, the committee approved AB 1455, which would authorize emergency rulemaking and streamline future updates for ember-resistant building regulations after recent wildfire emergencies, and AB 687, which would let public agencies use forest-practice rules and timber-harvest plans for certain publicly funded fuel-reduction projects; AB 687 drew some opposition over scope and enforceability concerns but was still advanced. The committee also moved AB 652, allowing alternate members on the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District board to prevent quorum problems, and AB 317, a first-time homebuyer housing bill that would exempt certain small, lower-cost homes from CEQA and defer some property taxes; AB 317 prompted discussion about guardrails to avoid unintended use on larger subdivisions. Finally, AB 900, requiring the Natural Resources Agency to develop a stewardship plan for 30-by-30 lands, was heard with broad support from land trusts and conservation groups and advanced on a due-pass recommendation, and AB 738, a wildfire-rebuild bill easing solar requirements for certain disaster survivors, was introduced and discussed with questions about its narrow scope and the number of homes affected.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- At the ranch level, we want to produce our beef safely and humanely.
- In the past 10 years, all the veterinarians that have come to my ranch have had to drive over two hours
- Students from the ranch camp in Sandoval County have gone on to earn their veterinary degrees.
- farm or ranch and only work on cows or just sheep or just goats.
- That's hard to do—hard in one day to get to more than one ranch.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- An amendment to the Coal Ranch Improvement District Number One in Denton County.
- This bill involves the Hunter Ranch Improvement District No. 1.
- The special district is immediately south of the Cole Ranch development.
- It amends the enabling legislation of Hunter Ranch Improvement District No. 1, and as you heard before
- the city has adopted a resolution supporting the legislation amendment as it did on the other Cole Ranch
Keywords:
HB 293, Texas housing tax credits, low-income housing, affordable housing, private activity bonds, PAB, qualified allocation plan, TDHCA, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, state representative objection, housing development approval, municipal notice, county commissioners court, extraterritorial jurisdiction, LIHTC, bond-financed housing, homelessness, housing services, Texas Department of Housing, municipal programs
NV
Nevada 2025 Regular Session
Assembly Committee on Commerce and Labor May 31st, 2025 at 11:30 pm
Commerce and Labor
Transcript Highlights:
- Are the ranchers and ranch hands not allowed to save them?
- If homes are valuable enough to exempt firefighters from this bill, why are those on a ranch not exempt
- Ranches in Nevada are very remote, and firefighters are not going to get there soon, and when they do
- Are the ranchers and ranch hands not allowed to save them?
- Ranches in Nevada are very remote and firefighters are not going to get there soon, and when they do,
Keywords:
public employees, police officers, benefits, appropriation, law enforcement, medical debt, collection agency, healthcare, consumer protection, financial assistance, occupational safety, air quality, greenhouse gases, employee monitoring, safety program, hemp, hemp products, cannabidiol, CBD, cannabis
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- These skilled vaqueros were essential to the development of ranching in the region, leaving a legacy
- The early ranches of, uh, Las Noriacitas, Las Animas, Randado.
- Hebronville, the county seat, grew from this ranching heritage and once ranked as the largest cattle
- Well, full disclosure, as a, as a proud owner of a ranch that resides in Jim Hogg County, I'm very happy
- However, in a aforementioned ranch in Jim Hogg County, we have an abundance of wild hog and uh would
Bills:
HCR6
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 107 May 1st, 2026
Colorado Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So, it's important to note that Highlands Ranch is not in the Front Range Passenger Rail District any
- I think that the people in Highlands Ranch, that's their druthers as well.
- County called Sterling Ranch County called Sterling Ranch that<01:42:41.040>
they <01:42:41.240 - >
the far west edge of Highlands Ranch on the far west edge of Highlands Ranch on the north<01 - druthers in Highlands Ranch that's their druthers as<01:44:10.440>
well.
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and received several committee reports moving bills forward, including measures from Transportation and Energy and Corporations. The chamber also heard a House message transmitting House Bill 1281. Later, senators used moments of personal privilege to recognize Día del Niño guests and welcome children and community representatives to the chamber; those remarks were ordered spread upon the journal.
On the consent calendar and third reading calendar, the Senate passed a number of bills, including Senate Bill 171 on pre-production plastic disposal, Senate Bill 173 on teacher training in certain fitness disciplines, House Bill 1290 on assault sentencing, House Bill 1052 on Victim Rights Act changes, House Bill 1214 on continuation of the controlled substances licensing act, House Bill 1260 on child care assistance, Senate Bill 17 on out-of-network health care dispute resolution, House Bill 1313 on Statewide Affordable Housing Fund requirements, House Bill 1283 on confiscation of identification documents, Senate Bill 174 on lead generation marketing for legal services, House Bill 1193 on vision tests for pre-kindergarten students, Senate Bill 170 creating a task force on public school access, House Bill 1242 on interlock restricted licenses, House Bill 1258, and Senate Bill 165 on species conservation funding. Several of these passed with recorded no votes, especially House Bill 1214 and House Bill 1283.
The most substantive debate centered on Senate Bill 138, which was described as reducing administrative burden in the health care system by repealing or modifying certain requirements on health facilities and insurance carriers. The Senate adopted committee report amendments, including provisions on opioid training for veterinarians and dentists, before passing the bill. Another extended discussion involved Senate Bill 172 on the Front Range Passenger Rail District; supporters said it would shrink and better tailor the district to the planned rail corridor, while a senator from Adams County argued the district should not ask communities to pay for rail service they may not use. The Senate also reconsidered and repassed Senate Bill 170 after a procedural mix-up, then proceeded to special orders and adopted the Committee of the Whole report on Senate Bill 165, which was placed on the calendar for third reading and final passage.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development May 7th, 2026
Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development
Transcript Highlights:
- And one of the things that we are doing is called smart ranching.
- So we are now calling this smart ranching.
- And one of the things that we are doing is called smart ranching.
- So we are now calling this smart ranching.
- So we are now calling this smart ranching.
Summary:
The House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development met with a quorum, adopted the minutes from its October 3, 2024 meeting, and Chairwoman Butler noted that HCR 82 would be voluntarily deferred in favor of continuing work on HCR 77 related to a pilot program for landscaping and crawfishing. The committee then considered HCR 205, which urges the USDA to use its Commodity Procurement Program to purchase domestic Louisiana shrimp. Representative Kerner and Commissioner Mike Strain described the shrimp industry’s low prices, full cold storage, and the need for urgent federal action to support shrimpers and move product into schools, nursing homes, and food banks. Members discussed domestic sourcing rules, enforcement against imported seafood, and marketing challenges; HCR 205 was reported favorably without objection.
The committee also took up HCR 188, which memorializes Congress to oppose any federal farm bill provision that could negatively affect the use of hunting dogs. Chairwoman Butler and Commissioner Strain explained that the concern centered on vague language in a farm bill section that could be interpreted to restrict hunting dogs used for tracking or field trials. Members agreed the language should be removed if it remained in the bill, and HCR 188 was reported favorably without objection.
The committee then heard a presentation from Orlando McMeans of the Southern University Ag Center and College of Agriculture, along with Dr. Calvin Walker. They outlined the center’s research, extension, and academic programs, including enrollment growth, dual-enrollment efforts, 1890 scholars, JAG Stars scholarships, beef cattle and aquaculture research, viticulture, precision nutrition, and food access initiatives. They also described major facility projects, including a high-tech meat processing facility, research labs, a vineyard, and a proposed disaster-safe shelter. Members asked about butcher training, cattle genetics, and the shelter’s potential uses, and the committee adjourned after the presentation.