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75% of Americans oppose US attempting to take control of Greenland, CNN poll finds; Canada, China slash EV, canola tariffs in reset of ties; Trump administration announces health plan concept; Congress considers bill to make cars with electronic door handles safer; Michigan Planned Parenthood closures fuel ongoing debate.

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Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act, as Minnesotans protest ICE. A Homeland Security official announced a run for Congress and federal courts move to keep the administration from getting voter data from two blue states.

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Rural Appalachia is being eyed for massive AI centers, but locals are pushing back, some farmers say government payments meant to ease tariff burdens won't cover their losses and rural communities explore novel ways to support home-based childcare.

A renewed push for EATS Act amid FL agricultural battles

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Wednesday, February 5, 2025   

A bill known as the Exposing Agricultural Trade Suppression Act failed to advance in Congress last year but food policy advocates warned it is still a looming threat to Florida's agricultural industry, food safety laws and environmental protections.

Concerns are growing the bill -- or similar efforts to limit state regulatory control -- could resurface in federal negotiations. The legislation was excluded from the most recent Farm Bill extension.

Rebecca Wolf, senior food policy analyst for the nonprofit Food and Water Watch, and other critics of the bill said it would strip Florida of its ability to regulate farming practices, endangering food safety, environmental protection and small-scale producers.

"The EATS Act would preempt state regulation of the factory farm and agribusiness industry," Wolf explained. "This includes animal welfare, consumer protection, labeling and food safety laws and regulations, and the bill is so broad that it could also jeopardize state laws that protect rural communities and preserve our environment."

The bill, introduced in response to California's Proposition 12, aimed to prevent states from enforcing agricultural regulations which could disrupt interstate commerce. Backed by major agribusiness groups, supporters argued it was necessary to maintain a unified national market. Florida lawmakers were among 171 bipartisan representatives who opposed the measure.

Wolf emphasized continued public opposition is crucial to preventing similar legislation from resurfacing in Congress. She warned for Florida, with its diverse agricultural economy, the consequences could be significant.

"When it comes to food safety, it's a really big concern right now with the avian flu, the kinds of standards in which animals are raised and a really big concern being overcrowding of animals," Wolf outlined.

Florida lawmakers have passed other controversial laws which could reshape the state's farming industry. Last May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a ban on lab-grown meat, citing the need to protect traditional cattle ranchers.

It is now being challenged in federal court by Upside Foods and the Institute of Justice, arguing it violates federal meat inspection laws. Their request for a preliminary injunction was denied, but they have indicated plans to appeal.


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