Western lawmakers have reintroduced legislation to reform the H-2A guestworker program and create a pathway to legal status for undocumented farmworkers.
California Rep. Zoe Lofgren is leading the House bill, with a bipartisan coalition including Reps. David Valadao, Jim Costa and Adam Gray. Lofgren called it essential to “provide stability to this critical workforce.” The bill has stalled three times in the Senate.
On that note: Sen. Alex Padilla and Lofgren are working on bills that would provide compensation for farmworkers who lose on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies and other disasters.
Assembly advances bill on Scott and Shasta flows
The Assembly has sent the Senate a bill to permanently enshrine drought rules into law for the state’s northernmost watersheds. The lower house passed AB 263 this week along a party line vote.
Asm. Chris Rogers of Santa Rosa, who confused the Scott River with the Smith, argued his proposal is “not just a fish bill” but also supports the fishing industry. Asm. Steve Bennett of Ventura, repurposing his talking points on groundwater laws, argued “some of the most powerful forces politically in California” are the ones extracting the water.
But: GOP Asm. Heather Hadwick of Alturas shot back that the bill was written about her district and without her knowledge. She warned it would hurt the multigenerational farms and ranches in her communities.
“This is why rural people — farmers, people in the north state — get pissed off,” added Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher. He also criticized the release of hatchery-raised juvenile salmon this week into the Sacramento River, claiming the poor timing will lead striped bass to devour them.
More budget cuts likely ahead as governor revises plan
On the positive end, California’s tax revenue is nearly $4 billion above projections for the year, according to Jason Sisney, budget director for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ office. But the risk of a recession has grown significantly under the Trump administration’s economic decisions, he cautions.
It is looking likely that tax revenues will be weak in the coming fiscal year, at a time when state departments are reporting cost increases. Federal spending cuts will worsen the state deficit and California’s ability to backfill those gaps will be infeasible.
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That puts more scrutiny on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget plan. He is expected to release his revised budget proposal next Wednesday. Sisney expects deeper cuts, more funding delays, new borrowing provisions and other balancing measures.
Lower Colorado River agreements secure near-term water supply
California and Arizona signed new agreements to boost Lower Colorado River Basin conservation. Over the next two years, the 18 short-term agreements with tribal, municipal and agricultural water users will conserve an estimated 321,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead.
The Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation said the partnership with Colorado River Basin-reliant states will save water as they develop future operating guidelines. The federal agencies are also aiming to finish the Post-2026 Draft Environmental Impact Statement by the end of 2025.
Study: Subsidence correlates with lower SWP deliveries
A report from the California Natural Resources Agency and Department of Water Resources found that subsidence caused by groundwater overpumping in the Central Valley is limiting State Water Project allocations.
The state warns that subsidence could reduce deliveries between 18% to 87% by 2043. This year alone DWR said SWP deliveries were reduced by 3% as a result of ground sinkage.
DWR pointed to the California Aqueduct Subsidence Program as a mitigation strategy. The joint state and federal program is testing solutions with groundwater sustainability to prevent further canal deterioration.
Trump teases ‘major’ trade announcement
President Donald Trump says he’ll have an announcement of a trade agreement this morning. In a social media post Wednesday night, he said it would be a “major deal” with “a big, and highly respected country. The first of many!!!”
A deal with the UK has been expected this week or next.
Tuesday planned for House Ag markup
The House Agriculture Committee plans to kick off debate on the GOP budget plan next Tuesday. Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson says the text should be available this weekend.
The committee is expected to consider including key farm bill programs, including higher reference prices, in the legislation as well as major cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The provisions are supposed to add up to a net spending reduction of $230 billion.
Rollins: Disaster aid on the way
Disaster aid will begin to be distributed to farmers by the end of this month. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters Wednesday the goal is for all the $21 billion in aid to be moved out by early September.
Rollins also said the department is working to expedite distribution of funds through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for drought and wildfire, as well as aid for previously indemnified loss, flooding and milk loss, and uncovered loss.
Rollins spoke during a roundtable for farmers that included leaders from several state ag departments. The roundtable discussion was closed to the media, but Rollins allowed the press in to hear her remarks and ask a few questions.
Rollins provides a glimpse at Dietary Guidelines
Rollins says the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be simple to understand and support domestic farmers.
During an appearance before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, Rollins said her office is actively working with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the next iteration of the DGA. The two agencies are tasked with taking recommendations from the advisory committee’s scientific report and crafting the final guidelines. These are influential in shaping nutrition programs throughout the federal government.
Rollins said they hope to have the final guidelines out by early fall.
“I won’t say that we’re starting from scratch, because I think a lot of well-intentioned people did a lot of good work on that,” Rollins said. “It will be very simple, it will speak directly to the American family, it will support our local farmers and producers, and it will ensure that the incredible product of milk is right up there at the top.”
Rollins asked to reinstate grant for sustainable feminine hygiene products
The top Democrat on the House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee, urged Rollins to reinstate a grant to a Black land-grant college to develop nontoxic feminine hygiene products.
Rollins has said repeatedly that the $600,000 grant to Southern University in Louisiana is to study menstrual cycles of transgender men, though at the hearing yesterday it became “transgender mice.” (Southern has disputed the characterization.)
Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., said Rollins has misrepresented the grant. He cited the grant summary in noting that its purpose was to develop patents for sustainable feminine hygiene sanitary products from wool, cotton and hemp.
The grant’s only mention of transgenderism is when it says “transgender men and people with masculine gender identities, intersex and non-binary persons may also menstruate.”
Rollins said she would look into the matter. The grant was awarded last year by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Pesticide critic picked for surgeon general
Casey Means, a leader of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement who’s a harsh critic of pesticides, has been picked to be U.S. surgeon general. Her brother, Calley Means, is also a leader of the movement and has been advising the Trump administration on implementing MAHA policies.
Check out: One of her newsletter posts lays out her views of pesticides. In the post, the Stanford Medical School graduate says “we are turning a blind eye to the dumping of 6 billion pounds of ultra-toxic chemicals on our food each year globally, which is strongly linked to nearly every single chronic disease we face by destroying our mitochondria.”
Democratic AGs sue over HHS reorganization
Twenty Democratic attorneys general are suing the Department of Health and Human Services over its restructuring efforts, arguing the agency's actions fall outside of its statutory authority and violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
According to the lawsuit, approximately 873 employees were sent termination notices on April 1 at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which conducts research and outreach to improve safety in the agricultural industry as well as in other sectors. On May 2, “nearly all of the remaining NIOSH employees were laid off after being told their duties “have been identified as either unnecessary or virtually identical to duties being performed elsewhere in the agency,” the AGs said.
At the Food and Drug Administration, 3,500 employees were fired on April 1, the lawsuit said. These terminations have already impacted efforts to detect bird flu virus in milk, the AGs said.
FMI survey: Americans oppose cuts in SNAP benefits
Over half of American voters are opposed to significantly cutting or reducing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit, according to a national survey commissioned by the Food Industry Association: FMI.
FMI’s survey found that 70% of voters favor SNAP and 59% oppose reducing benefits. Nearly two-thirds of respondents agree that SNAP is a hunger program rather than a nutrition one.
Additionally, 48% of respondents said that restricting SNAP purchases of soda and candy is not a national priority.
Why it matters: The survey comes as Republicans on the House and Senate Agriculture committees are looking at how to cut the cost of the SNAP program through the budget reconciliation process. Republicans have sought to stress that they don’t want to cut benefits. Their proposals have focused on expanding work requirements and forcing states to pick up some of the program’s cost.
Meanwhile: FMI’s annual survey on grocery shopper trends found that 70% of Americans are extremely or very worried about rising grocery prices, with 78% reporting they are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of tariffs on the cost of imported food and ingredients.
Final word
"Gone are the days where the USDA focus was on diversity, equity and inclusion and on the green climate agenda." — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins
