YOUR DUES DOLLARS AT WORK MEMBERSHIP ADOPTS NEW POLICY, NEW AT 106TH ANNUAL MEETING by CCA Vice President of Government Affairs Kirk Wilbur Hundreds of California cattle producers convened in Reno, Nev. from Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, 2022 for the 106th Annual California Cattlemen’s Association/ California CattleWomen, Inc. Convention and California & Nevada Cattle Industry Trade Show. While there was plenty of education, entertainment and networking on tap at this year’s Annual Meeting, membership was also tasked with the responsibility of setting CCA’s policy priorities. To that end, six standing policy committees met on Thursday, Dec. 1 to consider readoption of expiring policy resolutions and to advance new policy to guide CCA’s lobbying efforts in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Amid a third consecutive year of severe drought, it is no surprise that the bulk of the new resolution adopted this year relate to water policy. Below are the operative provisions of newlyadopted policies and staff directives advanced by CCA’s policy committees and approved by membership at CCA’s Board of Directors meeting. While “whereas” clauses have been omitted for brevity, additional context has been provided for each policy and directive below. To view CCA’s full policy book, visit www.calcattlemen.org/cca-policy. CATTLE HEALTH & WELL-BEING COMMITTEE During the Cattle Health & Well Being Committee meeting, producers expressed concern that the State’s existing trichomoniasis control program has been insufficient to reduce or eliminate the prevalence of the disease within California. Rather than pushing the Association to advocate for stricter trichomoniasis controls via legislation or regulation, though, the Committee has instead directed CCA staff to first assess existing regulations and their enforcement to determine whether additional policy may be prudent in the future. COMMITTEE BUSINESS — STAFF DIRECTIVE — ASSESMENT OF TRICHOMANIASIS REGULATIONS REGULATION BE IT DIRECTED, that California Cattlemen’s Association staff reach out to the California Department of Food and Agriculture to assess the status of current regulations and enforcement of such regarding trichomoniasis testing.
14 CALIFORNIA CATTLEMAN January 2023
CATTLE MARKETING & INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE The Packers and Stockyards Act requires packers and other covered entities to initiate payment via check, wire transfer or other expeditious method by the close of the next business day following a sale. Unfortunately, slowing mail service has increasingly delayed the delivery of payments made via check. To incentivize prompter payment via electronic means, CCA’s Cattle Marketing & International Trade Committee passed the following resolution: COMMITTEE BUSINESS — RESOLUTION — PROMPT PAYMENT TIMING & ELECTRONIC PAYMENT THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Cattlemen’s Association support amending 7 U.S.C. 228(b) to allow for regulated entities to meet prompt payment requirements by sending a push automated clearing house (ACH) transfer by the close of the second business day or a wire transfer by the close of the third business day following a sale, in addition to the current option of mailing a check by the close of the next business day.