Leaders of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council were not happy about the indictment of Charles and Heather Maude, family ranchers in western South Dakota. “I’m deeply disgusted by the Forest Service’s persecution of Charles and Heather,” says NCBA President Mark Eisele. On June 20, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota indicted them on charges of theft of government property related to a small piece of Forest Service land surrounded by the Maude’s private land. 

The family has stewarded that government land for generations. “The Forest Service’s deference to the heavy-handed special agent with a long history of abusing permittees is unconscionable,” says NCBA V.P. of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. The groups say the Forest Service has a long and shameful history of confronting ranchers in South Dakota, and their escalation to imprisonment over a century-old fence line has shaken the confidence of every permittee.

Leaders of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council were not happy about the indictment of Charles and Heather Maude, family ranchers in western South Dakota. “I’m deeply disgusted by the Forest Service’s persecution of Charles and Heather,” says NCBA President Mark Eisele. On June 20, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota indicted them on charges of theft of government property related to a small piece of Forest Service land surrounded by the Maude’s private land. The family has stewarded that government land for generations. “The Forest Service’s deference to the heavy-handed special agent with a long history of abusing permittees is unconscionable,” says NCBA V.P. of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. The groups say the Forest Service has a long and shameful history of confronting ranchers in South Dakota, and their escalation to imprisonment over a century-old fence line has shaken the confidence of every permittee.-NAFB

Cattle industry leaders react to rancher persecution

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a guest appearance on the CBS public affairs program Face the Nation on Sunday.

Kelly is the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She assumed leadership of the organization last week when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resigned to join the Kamala Harris campaign as her running mate.

Kelly told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Walz "is the epitome of the Midwestern dad" and "understands rural America."

Kelly also addressed abortion in the 2024 campaign.

Kelly served as vice chair of the DGA since December 2022.

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a guest appearance on the CBS public affairs program Face the Nation on Sunday.Kelly is the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She assumed leadership of the organization last week when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resigned to join the Kamala Harris campaign as her running mate.Kelly told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Walz "is the epitome of the Midwestern dad" and "understands rural America."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> of Kansas, a Democrat, says Tim Walz &quot;is the epitome of the Midwestern dad&quot; and &quot;understands rural America.&quot; &quot;You could put him at any state fair on any Main Street, and certainly in a Friday night football game in rural Kansas, and he would fit right in.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1UTc00ihJj">pic.twitter.com/1UTc00ihJj</a>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1822667416909791273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly also addressed abortion in the 2024 campaign.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> of Kansas, where voters upheld the right to abortion, says she does not think Democrats are miscalculating by putting abortion front-and-center as an issue, citing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a successful example. &quot;They have moved the needle in Michigan and… <a href="https://t.co/OMoAV7iqIe">pic.twitter.com/OMoAV7iqIe</a>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1822667133718802747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly served as vice chair of the DGA since December 2022.

🎥Kan. governor talks 2024 campaign, abortion on 'Face the Nation'

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves says the United
States must back Israel in its fight against Hamas.

And, the Republican Congressman who serves on the House Armed
Service Committee, is puzzled by the reaction of some Americans.

“And I think it’s fascinating, too, what we’re seeing in the
country in terms of this support for the terrorists, for Hamas in Gaza as if somehow,
they were attacked when in fact they attacked Israel,” Graves tells host Barry
Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “It wasn’t even a military attack. It was targeted to
citizens, at a concert.”

Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,100
and kidnapping around 250.

The war that sparked has killed 10s of thousands.

Graves is bucking a sentiment forming in his party, backing
Ukraine as it attempts to repel the invasion by Russia.

Many Republicans in Washington have soured on the war in
Ukraine, questioning its relevance to national security.

Graves says there is no question the U.S. wants to stop Russia
from moving into NATO member countries. Graves isn’t sure what the intent of
Russian President Vladmir Putin.

“I have the burden and the privilege of seeing the intelligence
when it comes to what we believe Putin intends to do, what he wants to do,” Graves
says. “That would ultimately mean men and women, United States soldier, sailors,
airmen, Marines fighting Russians. That is the last thing that we need.”

Graves has been impressed by Ukraine’s response to the invasion
by Russia, which he believes caught Putin by surprise.

“Putin, he never expected Ukraine to last as long as it has
and continue to fight back and continue to be able to push back on what is
believed one of the strongest militaries in the world,” according to Graves. “He
basically ran into a buzzsaw and he’s still in it.”

Graves says the United States must make every effort to keep
Russia from extending the war into NATO aligned countries.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723227497367.jpeg" alt="Congressman Sam Graves/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Congressman Sam Graves/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorthern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves says the United
States must back Israel in its fight against Hamas.And, the Republican Congressman who serves on the House Armed
Service Committee, is puzzled by the reaction of some Americans.“And I think it’s fascinating, too, what we’re seeing in the
country in terms of this support for the terrorists, for Hamas in Gaza as if somehow,
they were attacked when in fact they attacked Israel,” Graves tells host Barry
Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “It wasn’t even a military attack. It was targeted to
citizens, at a concert.”Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,100
and kidnapping around 250.The war that sparked has killed 10s of thousands.Graves is bucking a sentiment forming in his party, backing
Ukraine as it attempts to repel the invasion by Russia.Many Republicans in Washington have soured on the war in
Ukraine, questioning its relevance to national security.Graves says there is no question the U.S. wants to stop Russia
from moving into NATO member countries. Graves isn’t sure what the intent of
Russian President Vladmir Putin.“I have the burden and the privilege of seeing the intelligence
when it comes to what we believe Putin intends to do, what he wants to do,” Graves
says. “That would ultimately mean men and women, United States soldier, sailors,
airmen, Marines fighting Russians. That is the last thing that we need.”Graves has been impressed by Ukraine’s response to the invasion
by Russia, which he believes caught Putin by surprise.“Putin, he never expected Ukraine to last as long as it has
and continue to fight back and continue to be able to push back on what is
believed one of the strongest militaries in the world,” according to Graves. “He
basically ran into a buzzsaw and he’s still in it.”Graves says the United States must make every effort to keep
Russia from extending the war into NATO aligned countries.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Graves backs Israel, military aid to Ukraine

(Radio Iowa) - Authorities are searching for suspects after two men from Omaha were shot and killed in the parking lot of a race track in southwest Iowa this weekend. 

According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, a concert was about to begin at the I-29 Raceway in Pacific Junction when the shooting happened. Late Saturday night, KMA Radio reported authorities were searching for at least three suspects in a black Mercedes sedan on and near the property. 

The facility has a drag racing strip and a more than two-mile long road racing course. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shootings to call the Mills County Sheriff's Office.

(Radio Iowa) - Authorities are searching for suspects after two men from Omaha were shot and killed in the parking lot of a race track in southwest Iowa this weekend. According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, a concert was about to begin at the I-29 Raceway in Pacific Junction when the shooting happened. Late Saturday night, KMA Radio reported authorities were searching for at least three suspects in a black Mercedes sedan on and near the property. The facility has a drag racing strip and a more than two-mile long road racing course. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the shootings to call the Mills County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities search for suspects in fatal shootings at western Iowa raceway

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.

The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.

Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.

Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.

Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.

While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.

Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.

Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.

Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.

“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”

A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.

“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.

The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.

House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.

McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.

Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.

McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.

The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.

Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.

But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.

Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.

Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.

The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.

During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.

When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.

Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.

During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.

Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.

Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.

Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.

“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”

Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.

Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.

The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.

During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.

There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.

Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.

“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”

Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.

“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”

Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.

“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.

Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.

“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.

“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.

While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.

Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.

“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.

“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.

The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.

The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.

“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614817353591.png" alt="File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.<h2>What is the problem?</h2>While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.<h2>Speaker drama set the tone</h2>The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.<h2>Senate border deal goes to pieces</h2>The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.<h2>Few laws passed</h2>The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”<h2>Lame-duck session on the way</h2>Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.<h2>How to explain it</h2>Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.<h2>More time at work?</h2>Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show

THC-infused beverages made from hemp are a fast-growing market, and there’s ‘no doubt’ a lawsuit will be filed to challenge Gov. Parson’s order

By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Walking into Total Wine stores in Missouri this summer, it was impossible not to see the display for hemp-derived THC infused beverages.&nbsp;

Total Wine, the country’s largest liquor retailer, set the tone for the alcohol industry in June when it began carrying the products at its seven Missouri stores.&nbsp;

“It has been amazing for us,” said Joshua&nbsp;Grigaitis, owner of St. Louis-based Mighty Kind Co., which makes various kinds of hemp seltzers.&nbsp;“When somebody like Total Wine comes on board, it helps the conversation along greatly.”

Hemp naturally has very little&nbsp;THC, the intoxicating component mostly associated with marijuana. But that potency can be increased with some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/14/missouri-lawmakers-take-aim-at-unregulated-delta-8-thc-hemp-products/">science</a>.&nbsp;

Now Mighty Kind and other similar products that contain low levels of THC have quickly become new revenue for bars, liquor stores and distributors statewide. These beverages are allowed to be sold in Missouri outside of licensed cannabis dispensaries because the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp.

Grigaitis said in some bars, his products make up 40-50% of their sales.&nbsp;

But that all may come to a halt after Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order on Aug. 1 banning intoxicating hemp products and threatening penalties to any establishment with a Missouri liquor license or that sells food products for selling them. It also bans companies like Mighty Kind from producing hemp-derived THC beverages in Missouri.

The order takes effect Sept. 1. Details of how it will be enforced will be outlined in the emergency rules that are still being written.

The hemp industry is calling the action an “overreach,” but Parson said at a press conference earlier this month that the main target of his order is companies that produce intoxicating hemp edibles that could be mistaken by children as candy.

Standing alongside Attorney General Andrew Bailey and other officials in his administration at his Capitol press conference, Parson displayed&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/foodsafety/enviro-health-services/unreg-psychoactive-cannabis-products.php" target="_blank">a Lifesavers package that contained THC gummies</a>.

“These companies and these people that are profiting off of this type of material to give it to our children need to stop,” Parson said. “And no excuses. If they want to do it, do it the right way… like everybody else has to do.”

The “everyone else” Parson was referring to was the dispensaries licensed to sell adult-use recreational marijuana. Because hemp isn’t a controlled substance like marijuana, there are currently no federal or state standards to regulate intoxicating hemp-derived compounds, he said.

Parson did not address the fact that about 9,000 retailers statewide are currently selling hemp-derived beverages and edibles, a number that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/19/missouri-attorney-general-launches-investigation-of-intoxicating-hemp-products/">estimated</a>&nbsp;in a fiscal analysis in April.

“That’s a big hit to just make an executive order without any kind of voting or legislation,” Grigaitis said.&nbsp;

Steve Busch, owner of Krew Distributing, said everyone in the hemp industry agrees that those bad actors that Parson mentioned should be taken off the shelves.&nbsp;

But the governor failing to address the impact it would have on thousands of bars, liquor stores and grocery stores was “disingenuous” and “bordering unethical,” said Busch, whose company distributes 11 different hemp beverages in eastern Missouri.&nbsp;

“This executive order singled out any retailers that have a liquor license and said that they cannot sell the products,” Busch said. “So that’s pretty much all of my customers that are currently selling.”

Since March, Busch has led an effort to establish regulations for beverages and edibles by working with various lawmakers to write legislation. It’s set to be filed in December.&nbsp;

For the last two years, the marijuana-industry — which has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/21/kansas-lawyer-missouri-medical-marijuana-companies-fill-coffers-of-pro-parson-pac/">major political donor</a>&nbsp;to both Parson and Bailey — has led an unsuccessful effort to convince the legislature to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/01/proposed-legislation-could-ban-the-majority-of-delta-8-drinks-and-edibles-in-missouri/">ban hemp-derived THC</a>&nbsp;products outright.&nbsp;

Grigaitis says he doesn’t believe the order will have the impact the governor is hoping for.&nbsp;

Under federal law, the governor cannot punish people for consuming the products, and Parson was careful to make that point during his press conference. The order only punishes retailers regulated by the state to sell alcohol or food.

Licensed cannabis dispensaries can’t sell these products either because the hemp used to make them has to be grown in Missouri and processed in licensed cultivation and manufacturing facilities – just as marijuana is. Nearly all of these products currently on the market are made from hemp grown in other states.&nbsp;

The order does, however, allow for Missourians to buy these products online from out-of-state companies.

“This is literally forcing everything out of the hands of the people that we have determined or given the licenses,”&nbsp;Grigaitis&nbsp;said. “Why would we take it out of that and put it into the dark? There’s no sense there.”

There will be a response from the hemp industry on various fronts, Busch said. Immediately, he said he will begin circulating the proposed legislation in the hopes of gaining support from lawmakers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chuck Hatfield, a longtime Jefferson City attorney who has represented cannabis companies, said it’s “very unusual” for the governor to issue an executive order to do what lawmakers have declined to do for the past two years.&nbsp;

“There will be lawsuits over this, no doubt about it,” Hatfield said, “because it’s an aggressive regulatory strategy and it’s a little bit unprecedented. There are plenty of lawyers out there who are going to advise the industry that they have legitimate legal arguments to make.”

Hatfield believes the matter will be solved in the courts. But any legal action will have to wait until the emergency rules are released, Hatfield said, which will show the true impact of the law.&nbsp;

The emergency rules will be available before the Sept. 1 effective date, said Mike O’Connell, spokesman for the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control – the agency tasked with drafting the rules.

“Anything before we see those rules is kind of guessing,” Hatfield said.&nbsp;

While it is shocking, Grigaitis said he’s not overly concerned about the order.&nbsp;

“I’m pretty good at thriving in chaos,” he said. “The very weekend that we launched our first CBD seltzer into the world was the same weekend that the shutdown happened and the whole world stopped.”&nbsp;

Several of his products contain only CBD, which is a non-psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant and isn’t banned under the order. So the order doesn’t wipe out all of his “alcohol alternative” products completely, he said.&nbsp;

But moreso, he believes Missouri’s industry will garner national support because other states don’t want their governors to take similar actions.&nbsp;

“Everyone in the industry thinks it’s going to be stopped,” he said. “The rest of the country does not want to see this precedent set, where it could then snowball.”

DHSS director Paula Nicholson warned families about the fact that these hemp products on the shelves are not regulated by any state or federal authority during the Aug. 1 press conference. So there’s no way to ensure they’re safe, she said.

“We have seen the negative impacts first hand,” she said. “Disturbingly, children in Missouri and across the nation have been hospitalized after ingesting these substances. This is unacceptable.”

Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, told The Independent last year that more poison cases had been reported for edibles containing marijuana than the hemp-derived compounds, such as Delta-8.&nbsp;

In 2022, there were 25 cases for Delta-8 edibles for all ages, she said, compared to 125 cases for regulated marijuana edibles for only children 5 years old and under.&nbsp;

However, in a legislative committee in January, Weber testified that the center’s concern for Delta-8 products was increasing.

“It’s the packaging as well that’s a big concern,” Weber said at the time. “It’s attractive, has bright colors, mimics foods and candy. It also has cartoon figures on there.”&nbsp;

Products that mimic trademarked products meant for children are highly condemned by the hemp industry, said Justin Journay, CEO of Indianapolis-based 3CHI, which sells products in Missouri.&nbsp;

“Everybody hates those guys,” Journay said. “Nobody wants to see those guys in business because we get mixed up with them as if we’re the same.”

Busch, who’s company has been a major distributor for Anheuser Busch and other beer brands for decades, said he thoroughly vets the products he distributes – ensuring that they all have gone through third-party testing similar to marijuana products.&nbsp;

And his customers – more than 200 liquor stores, bars and restaurants – treat these products just like alcohol, incentivizing their employees to “age gate,” he said, to prevent underage consumption.&nbsp;

Brian Dix started his own distribution company, Craft Republic, in 2017 that specializes in craft beers and is based in St. Louis. He made the leap to start his own business after spending over 20 years in the beer industry.&nbsp;

One of his fast-growing products is Mighty Kind beverages – and it’s been a big reason why he’s been able to grow his business, he said.&nbsp;

The governor’s order was shocking, he said

“It’s an immediate stop to a significant revenue stream for our business,” Dix said. “More and more people are bringing this category on. So yes, it’s a significant impact that’s got me scrambling trying to figure out what to do.”

Like Busch, Dix ensures that testing is not only done but that results are&nbsp;<a href="https://bemightykind.com/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">easily accessible to consumers</a>&nbsp;for the products he distributes.&nbsp;

And like his colleagues, Dix has advocated for better regulations in this space.&nbsp;

“The governor’s office took a very aggressive stance on this,” he said. “And I understand let’s keep the kids safe, but is that really what he’s doing here? Let’s get regulations in place. Let’s get whatever testing requirements. Let’s enable the state to receive taxation and licensing fees and regulate it like alcohol.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723463930708.png" alt=" Gov. Mike Parson speaks at his Capitol press conference announcing Executive Order 24-10 that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri “until such time approved sources can be regulated by the FDA or State of Missouri through legislative action,” he said (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office)." />
 <figcaption> Gov. Mike Parson speaks at his Capitol press conference announcing Executive Order 24-10 that bans the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Missouri “until such time approved sources can be regulated by the FDA or State of Missouri through legislative action,” he said (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>THC-infused beverages made from hemp are a fast-growing market, and there’s ‘no doubt’ a lawsuit will be filed to challenge Gov. Parson’s order</h2>By REBECCA RIVAS,&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Walking into Total Wine stores in Missouri this summer, it was impossible not to see the display for hemp-derived THC infused beverages.&nbsp;Total Wine, the country’s largest liquor retailer, set the tone for the alcohol industry in June when it began carrying the products at its seven Missouri stores.&nbsp;“It has been amazing for us,” said Joshua&nbsp;Grigaitis, owner of St. Louis-based Mighty Kind Co., which makes various kinds of hemp seltzers.&nbsp;“When somebody like Total Wine comes on board, it helps the conversation along greatly.”Hemp naturally has very little&nbsp;THC, the intoxicating component mostly associated with marijuana. But that potency can be increased with some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/14/missouri-lawmakers-take-aim-at-unregulated-delta-8-thc-hemp-products/">science</a>.&nbsp;Now Mighty Kind and other similar products that contain low levels of THC have quickly become new revenue for bars, liquor stores and distributors statewide. These beverages are allowed to be sold in Missouri outside of licensed cannabis dispensaries because the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp.Grigaitis said in some bars, his products make up 40-50% of their sales.&nbsp;But that all may come to a halt after Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order on Aug. 1 banning intoxicating hemp products and threatening penalties to any establishment with a Missouri liquor license or that sells food products for selling them. It also bans companies like Mighty Kind from producing hemp-derived THC beverages in Missouri.The order takes effect Sept. 1. Details of how it will be enforced will be outlined in the emergency rules that are still being written.The hemp industry is calling the action an “overreach,” but Parson said at a press conference earlier this month that the main target of his order is companies that produce intoxicating hemp edibles that could be mistaken by children as candy.Standing alongside Attorney General Andrew Bailey and other officials in his administration at his Capitol press conference, Parson displayed&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/foodsafety/enviro-health-services/unreg-psychoactive-cannabis-products.php" target="_blank">a Lifesavers package that contained THC gummies</a>.“These companies and these people that are profiting off of this type of material to give it to our children need to stop,” Parson said. “And no excuses. If they want to do it, do it the right way… like everybody else has to do.”The “everyone else” Parson was referring to was the dispensaries licensed to sell adult-use recreational marijuana. Because hemp isn’t a controlled substance like marijuana, there are currently no federal or state standards to regulate intoxicating hemp-derived compounds, he said.Parson did not address the fact that about 9,000 retailers statewide are currently selling hemp-derived beverages and edibles, a number that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/19/missouri-attorney-general-launches-investigation-of-intoxicating-hemp-products/">estimated</a>&nbsp;in a fiscal analysis in April.“That’s a big hit to just make an executive order without any kind of voting or legislation,” Grigaitis said.&nbsp;Steve Busch, owner of Krew Distributing, said everyone in the hemp industry agrees that those bad actors that Parson mentioned should be taken off the shelves.&nbsp;But the governor failing to address the impact it would have on thousands of bars, liquor stores and grocery stores was “disingenuous” and “bordering unethical,” said Busch, whose company distributes 11 different hemp beverages in eastern Missouri.&nbsp;“This executive order singled out any retailers that have a liquor license and said that they cannot sell the products,” Busch said. “So that’s pretty much all of my customers that are currently selling.”Since March, Busch has led an effort to establish regulations for beverages and edibles by working with various lawmakers to write legislation. It’s set to be filed in December.&nbsp;For the last two years, the marijuana-industry — which has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/07/21/kansas-lawyer-missouri-medical-marijuana-companies-fill-coffers-of-pro-parson-pac/">major political donor</a>&nbsp;to both Parson and Bailey — has led an unsuccessful effort to convince the legislature to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/01/proposed-legislation-could-ban-the-majority-of-delta-8-drinks-and-edibles-in-missouri/">ban hemp-derived THC</a>&nbsp;products outright.&nbsp;Grigaitis says he doesn’t believe the order will have the impact the governor is hoping for.&nbsp;Under federal law, the governor cannot punish people for consuming the products, and Parson was careful to make that point during his press conference. The order only punishes retailers regulated by the state to sell alcohol or food.Licensed cannabis dispensaries can’t sell these products either because the hemp used to make them has to be grown in Missouri and processed in licensed cultivation and manufacturing facilities – just as marijuana is. Nearly all of these products currently on the market are made from hemp grown in other states.&nbsp;The order does, however, allow for Missourians to buy these products online from out-of-state companies.“This is literally forcing everything out of the hands of the people that we have determined or given the licenses,”&nbsp;Grigaitis&nbsp;said. “Why would we take it out of that and put it into the dark? There’s no sense there.”<h2>The response</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723463905930.png" alt="A St. Louis liquor store hung a sign announcing Gov. Mike Parson’s executive order to ban intoxicating hemp beverages (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A St. Louis liquor store hung a sign announcing Gov. Mike Parson’s executive order to ban intoxicating hemp beverages (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>There will be a response from the hemp industry on various fronts, Busch said. Immediately, he said he will begin circulating the proposed legislation in the hopes of gaining support from lawmakers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Chuck Hatfield, a longtime Jefferson City attorney who has represented cannabis companies, said it’s “very unusual” for the governor to issue an executive order to do what lawmakers have declined to do for the past two years.&nbsp;“There will be lawsuits over this, no doubt about it,” Hatfield said, “because it’s an aggressive regulatory strategy and it’s a little bit unprecedented. There are plenty of lawyers out there who are going to advise the industry that they have legitimate legal arguments to make.”Hatfield believes the matter will be solved in the courts. But any legal action will have to wait until the emergency rules are released, Hatfield said, which will show the true impact of the law.&nbsp;The emergency rules will be available before the Sept. 1 effective date, said Mike O’Connell, spokesman for the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control – the agency tasked with drafting the rules.“Anything before we see those rules is kind of guessing,” Hatfield said.&nbsp;While it is shocking, Grigaitis said he’s not overly concerned about the order.&nbsp;“I’m pretty good at thriving in chaos,” he said. “The very weekend that we launched our first CBD seltzer into the world was the same weekend that the shutdown happened and the whole world stopped.”&nbsp;Several of his products contain only CBD, which is a non-psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant and isn’t banned under the order. So the order doesn’t wipe out all of his “alcohol alternative” products completely, he said.&nbsp;But moreso, he believes Missouri’s industry will garner national support because other states don’t want their governors to take similar actions.&nbsp;“Everyone in the industry thinks it’s going to be stopped,” he said. “The rest of the country does not want to see this precedent set, where it could then snowball.”<h2>Is it safe?</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723463856051.png" alt=" At his Aug. 1 press conference, Gov. Mike Parson pointed to products that mimic trademarked candy but contain hemp-derived THC as a big reason why he issued his executive order banning all intoxicating hemp products (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office)." />
 <figcaption> At his Aug. 1 press conference, Gov. Mike Parson pointed to products that mimic trademarked candy but contain hemp-derived THC as a big reason why he issued his executive order banning all intoxicating hemp products (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office).</figcaption>
 </figure>DHSS director Paula Nicholson warned families about the fact that these hemp products on the shelves are not regulated by any state or federal authority during the Aug. 1 press conference. So there’s no way to ensure they’re safe, she said.“We have seen the negative impacts first hand,” she said. “Disturbingly, children in Missouri and across the nation have been hospitalized after ingesting these substances. This is unacceptable.”Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, told The Independent last year that more poison cases had been reported for edibles containing marijuana than the hemp-derived compounds, such as Delta-8.&nbsp;In 2022, there were 25 cases for Delta-8 edibles for all ages, she said, compared to 125 cases for regulated marijuana edibles for only children 5 years old and under.&nbsp;However, in a legislative committee in January, Weber testified that the center’s concern for Delta-8 products was increasing.“It’s the packaging as well that’s a big concern,” Weber said at the time. “It’s attractive, has bright colors, mimics foods and candy. It also has cartoon figures on there.”&nbsp;Products that mimic trademarked products meant for children are highly condemned by the hemp industry, said Justin Journay, CEO of Indianapolis-based 3CHI, which sells products in Missouri.&nbsp;“Everybody hates those guys,” Journay said. “Nobody wants to see those guys in business because we get mixed up with them as if we’re the same.”Busch, who’s company has been a major distributor for Anheuser Busch and other beer brands for decades, said he thoroughly vets the products he distributes – ensuring that they all have gone through third-party testing similar to marijuana products.&nbsp;And his customers – more than 200 liquor stores, bars and restaurants – treat these products just like alcohol, incentivizing their employees to “age gate,” he said, to prevent underage consumption.&nbsp;Brian Dix started his own distribution company, Craft Republic, in 2017 that specializes in craft beers and is based in St. Louis. He made the leap to start his own business after spending over 20 years in the beer industry.&nbsp;One of his fast-growing products is Mighty Kind beverages – and it’s been a big reason why he’s been able to grow his business, he said.&nbsp;The governor’s order was shocking, he said“It’s an immediate stop to a significant revenue stream for our business,” Dix said. “More and more people are bringing this category on. So yes, it’s a significant impact that’s got me scrambling trying to figure out what to do.”Like Busch, Dix ensures that testing is not only done but that results are&nbsp;<a href="https://bemightykind.com/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">easily accessible to consumers</a>&nbsp;for the products he distributes.&nbsp;And like his colleagues, Dix has advocated for better regulations in this space.&nbsp;“The governor’s office took a very aggressive stance on this,” he said. “And I understand let’s keep the kids safe, but is that really what he’s doing here? Let’s get regulations in place. Let’s get whatever testing requirements. Let’s enable the state to receive taxation and licensing fees and regulate it like alcohol.”

Hemp industry leaders call Missouri governor’s order banning THC products an ‘overreach’

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant Sunday.

Secretary Austin reiterated the United States' commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions. Reinforcing this commitment, Secretary Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group.

Additionally, the Secretary has ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region.

Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant also discussed Israel's operations in Gaza and the importance of mitigating civilian harm, progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza, and our efforts to deter aggression by Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iran-aligned groups across the region.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1706810871805.png" alt="File photo Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant Sunday.Secretary Austin reiterated the United States' commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions. Reinforcing this commitment, Secretary Austin has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group.Additionally, the Secretary has ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region.Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant also discussed Israel's operations in Gaza and the importance of mitigating civilian harm, progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza, and our efforts to deter aggression by Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iran-aligned groups across the region.

U.S. sending more weapons of war to the Middle East

(Radio Iowa) - This Sunday is August 11th or 8-11, the day Iowans are reminded about the three-digit phone number they’re required to call before doing any digging on their property. 

Ben Booth is spokesman for Iowa One Call which is marking what it calls 8-1-1 Day in advance of the fall planting season. Iowa law says you have to notify Iowa One Call prior to doing any type of digging. Call at least 48 hours in advance, and crews will mark the underground utilities with flags or spray-paint so you can know where -not- to dig. 

Booth says even putting in a stake or a fence post could pierce an underground facility, which could not only be life-threatening, like with a high-voltage power line, but it could also be very expensive to repair.

(Radio Iowa) - This Sunday is August 11th or 8-11, the day Iowans are reminded about the three-digit phone number they’re required to call before doing any digging on their property. Ben Booth is spokesman for Iowa One Call which is marking what it calls 8-1-1 Day in advance of the fall planting season. Iowa law says you have to notify Iowa One Call prior to doing any type of digging. Call at least 48 hours in advance, and crews will mark the underground utilities with flags or spray-paint so you can know where -not- to dig. Booth says even putting in a stake or a fence post could pierce an underground facility, which could not only be life-threatening, like with a high-voltage power line, but it could also be very expensive to repair.

Iowans are reminded that hitting an underground line could bring a big fine

(Radio Iowa) - The first semester of this school year will be well underway before the rules are in effect for a law designed to help Iowa districts get insurance if school staff are armed. 

A Department of Public Safety spokesman told Iowa Public Radio it'll be two months before the review process for those rules is completed. Two years ago school boards in Cherokee and Spirit Lake voted to have armed staff members, but dropped the policy after their insurance carrier said it would not renew their coverage. The new law spells out the requirements for a professional permit to carry a weapon at school and school boards may vote to allow teachers and staff who get a permit to have a gun on school grounds. 

The law is written so school employees would be shielded from liability if they use reasonable force -- but it's still not clear if the insurance company that covers most school districts will issue policies to districts if teachers and staff who are armed.

(Radio Iowa) - The first semester of this school year will be well underway before the rules are in effect for a law designed to help Iowa districts get insurance if school staff are armed. A Department of Public Safety spokesman told Iowa Public Radio it'll be two months before the review process for those rules is completed. Two years ago school boards in Cherokee and Spirit Lake voted to have armed staff members, but dropped the policy after their insurance carrier said it would not renew their coverage. The new law spells out the requirements for a professional permit to carry a weapon at school and school boards may vote to allow teachers and staff who get a permit to have a gun on school grounds. The law is written so school employees would be shielded from liability if they use reasonable force -- but it's still not clear if the insurance company that covers most school districts will issue policies to districts if teachers and staff who are armed.

No Iowa school will have armed teachers, staff when school starts

In the aftermath of Hurricane Debby, volunteers with the American Red Cross have been deployed to assist and provide relief.  

Executive Director of the northwest Missouri chapter JoAnn Woody says the primary effort by volunteers is providing people affected a safe place to be 

"People have evacuated their homes in preparation for the hurricane impact or if they have been displaced, if they've had to leave their homes because of flood waters or hurricane or tornado damage, they need a safe place to go," Woody tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so that is our first priority, providing individuals and families a safe place to sleep and to stay while they figure out what the next steps are." 

16 volunteers from Missouri have been deployed, two of those coming from northwest Missouri.  

Woody says the two from the chapter have volunteered with the Red Cross for close to a year now. 

"They have been so gung-ho and they are absolutely loving the humanitarian effort and they enjoy going out on deployments like this," Woody says. "This is not their first assignment, I believe they went to Hawaii after the wildfires, they've been to Florida on previous disasters last year." 

Woody says the couple will serve on the emergency response vehicle crews helping deliver meals or emergency supplies people might need.  

Volunteers assisting in the efforts in Florida are asked to stay for two, sometimes three weeks, to help in the area.  

Woody says that part alone takes a special kind of person to volunteer. 

"To be able to pick up and go stay somewhere far away from home, far away from anything that makes us comfortable and that we rely on, and to provide that kind of care and comfort," Woody explains. "These assignments are not easy, sometimes our volunteers are sleeping in staff shelters on cots in very rugged conditions I guess you would say." 

28 volunteers overall from Missouri and Arkansas have been deployed 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post In the aftermath of Hurricane Debby, volunteers with the American Red Cross have been deployed to assist and provide relief. Executive Director of the northwest Missouri chapter JoAnn Woody says the primary effort by volunteers is providing people affected a safe place to be "People have evacuated their homes in preparation for the hurricane impact or if they have been displaced, if they've had to leave their homes because of flood waters or hurricane or tornado damage, they need a safe place to go," Woody tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And so that is our first priority, providing individuals and families a safe place to sleep and to stay while they figure out what the next steps are." 16 volunteers from Missouri have been deployed, two of those coming from northwest Missouri. Woody says the two from the chapter have volunteered with the Red Cross for close to a year now. "They have been so gung-ho and they are absolutely loving the humanitarian effort and they enjoy going out on deployments like this," Woody says. "This is not their first assignment, I believe they went to Hawaii after the wildfires, they've been to Florida on previous disasters last year." Woody says the couple will serve on the emergency response vehicle crews helping deliver meals or emergency supplies people might need. Volunteers assisting in the efforts in Florida are asked to stay for two, sometimes three weeks, to help in the area. Woody says that part alone takes a special kind of person to volunteer. "To be able to pick up and go stay somewhere far away from home, far away from anything that makes us comfortable and that we rely on, and to provide that kind of care and comfort," Woody explains. "These assignments are not easy, sometimes our volunteers are sleeping in staff shelters on cots in very rugged conditions I guess you would say." 28 volunteers overall from Missouri and Arkansas have been deployed

Red Cross volunteers respond to hurricane relief in Florida

(Radio Iowa) - When students return to Gehlen Catholic Middle and High School in Le Mars in a few weeks, they'll be facing a new "no cell phone" policy. 

Principal Bryan Paulson says they've tried restricting cell phone use in the past, but it just wasn’t working. Under the new plan, students will have to put their phones in a central locker system -- what the kids refer to as jail -- and they'll be secured all day, not to be returned into the last five minutes or so of school. Paulson says cell phone use by students was having a negative impact on their behavior and attitudes toward learning -- and some weren't engaged in the classroom, while others were becoming anxious. 

There will be exceptions to the policy for students who need their phones during the day to contact a parent or to go to a doctor's appointment.

(Radio Iowa) - When students return to Gehlen Catholic Middle and High School in Le Mars in a few weeks, they'll be facing a new "no cell phone" policy. Principal Bryan Paulson says they've tried restricting cell phone use in the past, but it just wasn’t working. Under the new plan, students will have to put their phones in a central locker system -- what the kids refer to as jail -- and they'll be secured all day, not to be returned into the last five minutes or so of school. Paulson says cell phone use by students was having a negative impact on their behavior and attitudes toward learning -- and some weren't engaged in the classroom, while others were becoming anxious. There will be exceptions to the policy for students who need their phones during the day to contact a parent or to go to a doctor's appointment.

NW Iowa schools will be putting students' cell phones in 'jail'

(Radio Iowa) - Many Iowa home owners are seeing their insurance premiums rise and some companies are refusing to insure some properties altogether. 

Sonya Sellmeyer, a consumer advocacy officer in the Iowa Insurance Division, says Iowans facing a significant hike in homeowners insurance could consider a higher deductible -- if it's an amount they can afford. Sellmeyer's encouraging Iowans to have a discussion with their licensed insurance agent, to ensure their policy would cover the cost of replacing their home and its contents. 

And Sellmeyer, who spent time in Spencer shortly after it was flooded in June, is strongly suggesting all Iowans sit down with their insurance agent and see if flood insurance is something they need. Flooding is the most common AND costly natural disaster in the United States.

(Radio Iowa) - Many Iowa home owners are seeing their insurance premiums rise and some companies are refusing to insure some properties altogether. Sonya Sellmeyer, a consumer advocacy officer in the Iowa Insurance Division, says Iowans facing a significant hike in homeowners insurance could consider a higher deductible -- if it's an amount they can afford. Sellmeyer's encouraging Iowans to have a discussion with their licensed insurance agent, to ensure their policy would cover the cost of replacing their home and its contents. And Sellmeyer, who spent time in Spencer shortly after it was flooded in June, is strongly suggesting all Iowans sit down with their insurance agent and see if flood insurance is something they need. Flooding is the most common AND costly natural disaster in the United States.

Expert recommends Iowans consider flood insurance

A coalition of attorneys general is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a new rule that would create uniform labeling requirements on pesticide products across the country. By streamlining the process and preempting misbranding in states like California, the rule would lift the burdens currently placed on farmers across the country. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act allows each state to create separate requirements that manufacturers must include when labeling their products. 

A coalition of attorneys general is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a new rule that would create uniform labeling requirements on pesticide products across the country. By streamlining the process and preempting misbranding in states like California, the rule would lift the burdens currently placed on farmers across the country. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act allows each state to create separate requirements that manufacturers must include when labeling their products.

Petition to clarify labels on farm products

The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the supply chain of at least two renewable fuel producers amid industry concerns that some may be using fraudulent feedstocks for biodiesel to secure government subsidies. Farm Policy News says the EPA declined to elaborate further or identify the companies being targeted because the investigations are ongoing. A flood of used cooking oil from China and elsewhere is causing several senators to question whether some of the shipments meant to supply the biofuel market may be fraudulent. 

Producing biodiesel from sustainable ingredients like cooking oil can earn refiners a number of state, federal, and environmental climate subsidies, including tradable credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Investigators are trying to determine whether some supplies labeled as used cooking oil are cheaper and less sustainable virgin palm oil that’s been associated with deforestation and other environmental damage. Cooking oil imports reached three billion pounds in 2023.  

The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the supply chain of at least two renewable fuel producers amid industry concerns that some may be using fraudulent feedstocks for biodiesel to secure government subsidies. Farm Policy News says the EPA declined to elaborate further or identify the companies being targeted because the investigations are ongoing. A flood of used cooking oil from China and elsewhere is causing several senators to question whether some of the shipments meant to supply the biofuel market may be fraudulent. Producing biodiesel from sustainable ingredients like cooking oil can earn refiners a number of state, federal, and environmental climate subsidies, including tradable credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Investigators are trying to determine whether some supplies labeled as used cooking oil are cheaper and less sustainable virgin palm oil that’s been associated with deforestation and other environmental damage. Cooking oil imports reached three billion pounds in 2023.

EPA investigating used cooking oil imports

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A funeral for Firefighter Ty Voth, who died battling a fire, was held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Hartman Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Drive in Park City.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/wichitafiredepartment">Click here to watch a</a> replay of the service

Before the funeral, there was a public viewing at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena.&nbsp;

Following the service, Voth was transported to Whitewater Cemetery in Whitewater, Kansas.

Official Procession Route from the Park City Arena:

Park City Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Dr, Park City, KS 67147 To Whitewater Cemetery, 10881-11579 SE 72nd St, Whitewater, KS 67154

Voth was a 2015 graduate of Newton High School and attended Hutchinson Community College, graduating from the Fire Science Program in 2017. He then went on to work at the Manhattan Fire Department until 2019. From there, he was hired on to the Wichita Fire Department, to be closer to his family.

From day one, Ty’s passion was to be a firefighter. He was a second generation firefighter, following in his father's and uncle’s footsteps. In his spare time, he was an avid outdoorsmen, spending most of his time out in the field hunting beside his grandpa, Jack; his brother, Nic; brother-in-law, Matt; cousin, Matthew; his best friends; along with his hunting dog, Mossy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722607741656.png" alt="Ty Voth courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ty Voth courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A funeral for Firefighter Ty Voth, who died battling a fire, was held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Hartman Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Drive in Park City.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/wichitafiredepartment">Click here to watch a</a> replay of the service<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Below are the links for Firefighter Voth&#39;s obituary and for those who have asked, direct links to the memorials established in his honor. <a href="https://t.co/jFhklb01lI">https://t.co/jFhklb01lI</a><a href="https://t.co/dPD1epLuLB">https://t.co/dPD1epLuLB</a><a href="https://t.co/9s3dRb6YWk">https://t.co/9s3dRb6YWk</a> <a href="https://t.co/c4D8q8ZEwD">pic.twitter.com/c4D8q8ZEwD</a>&mdash; WichitaFireDept (@WichitaFireDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaFireDept/status/1821182072787968068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Before the funeral, there was a public viewing at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena.&nbsp;Following the service, Voth was transported to Whitewater Cemetery in Whitewater, Kansas.Official Procession Route from the Park City Arena:Park City Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Dr, Park City, KS 67147 To Whitewater Cemetery, 10881-11579 SE 72nd St, Whitewater, KS 67154<ol>
 <li>Exit Park City Arena using the southwest exit (E. Briar Rose Ln.)</li><li>Turn right (west) on E. Briar Rose Ln. and proceed to Broadway</li><li>Turn right (north) on Broadway and proceed approximately 9 miles</li><li>Turn right (east) onto K-196/SE 72nd and proceed east for approximately 8 miles</li><li>Cross Harvest Hill Rd. and attendants will assist in parking in the appropriate location upon arrival to the cemetery</li>
 </ol>His obituary is belowVoth was a 2015 graduate of Newton High School and attended Hutchinson Community College, graduating from the Fire Science Program in 2017. He then went on to work at the Manhattan Fire Department until 2019. From there, he was hired on to the Wichita Fire Department, to be closer to his family.From day one, Ty’s passion was to be a firefighter. He was a second generation firefighter, following in his father's and uncle’s footsteps. In his spare time, he was an avid outdoorsmen, spending most of his time out in the field hunting beside his grandpa, Jack; his brother, Nic; brother-in-law, Matt; cousin, Matthew; his best friends; along with his hunting dog, Mossy.Ty’s life revolved around his family. He was always there to help when needed and made sure his mother and family were always taken care of. The help and care that he showed extended out to his buddies and their families.Everyone has their kin family, but Ty was lucky enough to have a second family in Station Five B-Shift. Not only were they firefighters, they enjoyed time together outside of the station, taking vacations and making memories.He was preceded in death by: his grandmother, Jeannie Belcher; his grandfather, Ray Voth; his uncle, Mike Belcher; his cousin, Ryan Booth; along with his hunting dog, Mossy Girl.He is survived by: his mother, Angie Voth; his father, Chad Voth; his sister, Riley (Matt); his nephew, Mason; his brother, Nic (Leticia); his sister, Lindsey; his grandpa, Jack; his grandma, Sherry "Bud"; his aunts, Kathy (Tony) and Dana (Kent); his uncle, Kyle; his cousins, Matthew (Deana), Michael (Sydney), and Chad; along with his childhood buddies.On behalf of the family, they would like to thank the Wichita Fire Department for their support and compassion during this difficult time.There has been a memorial fund in honor of Ty Voth that may be designated to the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation, PO Box 782736, Wichita, Kansas 67278 or the Wichita Firefighters Charitable Fund, 428 N. St. Francis, Wichita, Kansas 67202.

Kbct