Trust no media report on pope's interview

From commentator and radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt:

Here is the link to the complete text of the Pope’s remarkable interview.

Really, read it for yourself. Do not trust any media report as to what he says or how he says it.

Amen.

LaMalfa votes for resolution defunding Obamacare

The north state's Rep. Doug LaMalfa voted with the majority in favor of a resolution that would keep the federal government running through December but strip funding for Obamacare.

“The House acted today to put the brakes on the president’s health care takeover and ensure that the government continues to meet its financial obligations," LaMalfa said. "With just days left before the president’s plan kicks in, it’s clear that his health care takeover doesn’t pencil out. In my district, we’ll see skyrocketing premiums, drastically fewer coverage choices and higher out-of-pocket expenses. It’s time the Senate takes a stand and does what’s right for the American people by putting a stop to the train wreck the president’s health care takeover has become.”

LaMalfa said the bill prevents the government from defaulting on the nation’s debt, which has grown by $6 trillion since President Obama took office.

Goals of Klamath task force proving unrealistic

In the photos, taken yesterday: The Klamath Basin Task Force gathers in a meeting room at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls; Oregon natural resources advisor Richard Whitman (left) talks with Klamath County Commissioner Dennis Linthicum before the meeting; and Tom Paul of the Oregon Department of Water Resources gives an update on drought conditions in the Upper Klamath Basin. Note the irony in that last photo, with Paul talking about drought as any of about five pitchers of water are within his reach.

The task force is already well past its deadline for coming up with recommendations for improving water supplies and access to affordable power in the Upper Basin, and from what I saw yesterday, its members seem to be far from reaching a consensus on some pretty key issues. Facilitator Whitman has set a date of Oct. 10 for the group's next meeting, and it'll be interesting to see if they can come up with recommendations by then.

It seems to me that this committee is trying to do in three months what it took the parties to the original Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement five years to accomplish, which was to get folks who are diametrically opposed to one another to forge working relationships and come up with compromises that suit everyone's needs. As the immediate crisis has to do with water shutoffs in the Upper Basin, perhaps the committee's charge should have been simply to address that in the short-term first, then proceed with resolving electricity issues in time for the February deadline.

I don't know what this new committee is doing discussing the KBRA's budget when there's already a Klamath Basin Coordinating Council that's supposed to be dealing with that sort of thing.

Another seat-of-the-pants observation: The layout of the room yesterday was a perfect illustration of how government relates to the people in today's America. Panel members appointed by Oregon's Sen. Ron Wyden and Gov. John Kitzhaber sat facing each other at tables arranged as an enclosed square as the public sat in the back of the room, outside of the loop and struggling to hear and understand what was going on. Self-government, indeed.

CCA: Urge Brown to veto gun ban bill

The California Cattlemen's Association is urging its members to send letters to Gov. Jerry Brown asking him to veto a bill that would ban certain types of guns in the state.

From the CCA's "action alert":

During the last week of the legislative session, the legislature passed SB 374 a bill by Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) that would effectively ban all semiautomatic rifles that accept a detachable magazine or feeding device by labeling them as assault weapons. SB 374 would expand California's assault weapons ban passed in 2000 to now include rifles such as the Ruger Mini 14© "Ranch Rifle" and historic M-1 Garand. Rifles that are currently owned will remain legal however the rifles will need to be registered with the Department of Justice and will no longer be eligible for purchase or sale.

CCA worked with the National Rifle Association and other 2nd Amendment organizations to defeat SB 374 and other harmful gun legislation. Both Republicans and Democrats voted against SB 374 but after a narrow vote in the Assembly, it unfortunately passed in the Senate by just one vote. Please write Governor Brown and request he immediately veto SB 374. CCA has drafted a template letter which is available here for your use in addressing the governor. Please tailor the letter for your use and provide any personal stories you believe are compelling to support the veto request. Time is short and the governor will likely make a decision to sign or veto SB 374 within the next week so please do not delay.

Fortunately, several other bills involving gun control did not make it out of the legislature last week. Specifically, SB 53 by Sen. Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) which would have required anyone seeking to purchase ammunition to obtain a state permit failed in the Assembly. Another bill, SB 396 (Hancock), which would have required anyone legally possessing a magazine with the capacity to hold more than 10 rounds to turn the magazine over to law enforcement or destroy it also failed in the Assembly.

Photo gallery: Dairy and livestock in Sacramento

Last week I spent a couple of days in Sacramento, mainly to cover the highly contentious marathon hearing at the California Department of Food and Agriculture over milk pricing. In the top photo, University of California-Davis ag economist Richard Sexton prepares to give a presentation. In the others, the administrative panel hears from witnesses as people in the audience listen and take notes.

While there, I also visited the offices of the California Cattlemen's Association, whose officials talked about the legislative session that has just ended. In the photos below, Executive Vice President Billy Gatlin (left) and Vice President of Government Relations Justin Oldfield talk strategy, and Oldfield and Gatlin are seen working in their offices. A special thanks goes to Stevie Ipsen at the CCA for arranging the meet-up on short notice.

Judge denies injunction on meat labeling law

From the U.S. Cattlemen's Association:

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today denied plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction that, if granted, would have blocked the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from implementing and enforcing its revised country of origin labeling (COOL) regulations until a lawsuit filed July 8 is concluded. The U.S. Cattlemen's Association (USCA), along with National Farmers Union (NFU), American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) and the Consumer Federation of America, became intervenors in the lawsuit on August 19 when the court entered an order granting their motion to intervene in full, permitting the groups to participate in the preliminary injunction hearing as well as the remainder of the litigation.

The following statement can be attributed to Jon Wooster, USCA President, San Lucas, Calif.

"We, of course, are pleased with the court's decision to deny the preliminary injunction requested by the plaintiffs. If the injunction had been granted it would have ensured that the United States would be in violation of its trade obligations under the WTO and also would have further delayed consumers having the type of information Congress has long intended them to have. The revised USDA regulations announced on May 23 of this year will certainly reduce consumer confusion and will allow cattle producers the ability to differentiate their product from foreign beef.”

"USCA, NFU, ASI and CFA are committed to a strong defense of COOL and, on behalf of all four organizations, I want to extend our gratitude to all those who are contributing to the U.S. COOL Defense Fund. This is an expensive undertaking but it is a necessary one if we are to ensure the most effective defense. “

USDA's final rule modified certain provisions in COOL regulations after a WTO Appellate Body affirmed an earlier WTO Dispute Panel decision finding aspects of the regulations violated U.S. trade obligations. USDA released its modified regulations on May 23, 2013 and notified the WTO that the U.S. had come into compliance with the WTO ruling. On July 8, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, American Meat Institute, Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Canadian Pork Council, North American Meat Association, American Association of Meat Processors, National Pork Producers Council, Southwest Meat Association and Mexico's National Confederation of Livestock Organizations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to vacate and set aside USDA's revised regulations. Shortly thereafter, the plaintiffs filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction. On July 26, USCA announced that it would lead an intervention in the lawsuit and was quickly joined by NFU, ASI and CFA.

Shasta Lake down to 45 percent of capacity

In the photos, taken last week, people launch their boats from the exposed bed of Shasta Lake on a warm afternoon. As I reported in my story on California's persistent drought, the lake is down to 45 percent of capacity, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The lake is holding 70 percent of its normal amount of water for this time of year.

I'm headed to Sacramento for the next couple of days to meet with California Cattlemen's Association folks and cover a state hearing regarding the ongoing plight of dairymen seeking a better price for their milk used for making cheese. I'll update the Journal as time and circumstances warrant.