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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Signing Day for the Farm Bill

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Friday, February 7, 2014   

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – President Barack Obama signs the farm bill today at a ceremony in Michigan.

The legislation was hotly debated last year, with the U.S. House passing it in two pieces.

Alan Merrill, president of the Montana Farmers Union, says despite discouraging signs, the end result is a farm bill that will work for Montana and keep the nation's food system strong.

"Helps the rural communities,” he stresses. “Helps beginning farmers. It sounds like a lot better farm bill than it was in the previous farm bill."

Energy programs will also be funded, there are no changes to the country-of-origin labeling law and Merrill was pleased to see that livestock disaster programs will be retroactive to fiscal year 2012.

Montana's congressional delegation all voted in favor of the bill.

Merrill says there are additional points that interest the Montana Farmers Union.

"This new farm bill provides a lot more funding in certain areas, like farmers markets,” he points out. “Gives a lot more money protecting land and water than it actually spends on farm commodity programs, so that's a good thing."

The SNAP food stamp program was a sticking point in negotiations.

Funding will be cut by more than $8 billion over the next 10 years.





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