In Missouri, the top agriculture issue is a constitutional amendment to create a “right to farm.” Says the New York Times, “The debate over the proposed amendment has roiled Missouri for more than a year, with supporters saying it would end what they see as meddling by outsiders in its business practices. Opponents have protested that the amendment would be a boon for large industrial farms that would like to avoid potential laws controlling their treatment of animals or the environment, allowing them to pollute the land, extend the use of genetically modified crops and freely experiment with the use of antibiotics in livestock, a trend that has concerned scientists.”
From Governing magazine: “Every state has some form of a ‘right-to-farm’ law. These laws typically protect certain farmers and ranchers from nuisance lawsuits, which could come in the form of complaints about noise or odor.” The magazine says North Dakota is the only state to adopt a “right to farm” amendment, in 2012. “The amendment there passed by an overwhelming 67 percent. What little polling exists of Missouri’s Amendment 1 is now months old, but it shows similar levels of support.”
In Kansas, incumbent Pat Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, faces a Tea Party challenger, Milton Wolf, for the Republican nomination for the Senate. Roberts led by 20 points in a poll taken two weeks ago, with 12 percent undecided. For a Kansas City Star size-up of the contest, click here.
In Kansas’ 4th congressional district, second-term Rep Mike Pompeo held a 7-point lead, 46-39, over his predecessor, Todd Tiahrt, according to a poll for Wichita broadcaster KSN. Pompeo is lead sponsor of a bill to pre-empt state laws that would require labels on genetically engineered foods and to make labeling voluntary. “Tiahrt wants his old job back and is arguing that Pompeo has sold out to big agricultural interests such as Monsanto rather than being responsive to consumers who want to know what is in the food their family eats,” says an AP story.