Latest News From John Dillard

Under the MOU, both parties have the right to walk away from the agreement if any state or federal right-to-repair legislation is enacted.

Can California’s voters dictate how hogs are raised everywhere? That is effectively the question the U.S. Supreme Court is pondering in a pending case, National Pork Producers Council v. Ross. 

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court took a big step toward limiting the discretion of federal agencies to impose economically or politically significant regulations without the clear authority of Congress.

My crystal ball is in the shop, but I’m confident these are some of the issues that are going to be part of the ag policy discussion in the next year. 

African swine fever (ASF) is a nasty bug and it’s getting closer to the U.S. The highly contagious viral infection doesn’t infect humans, but it is 100% fatal to hogs. 

Bayer still faces exposure from future claims. As long as glyphosate is on the market, there will be a potential for new claims to continue to rise.

Historically, unpaid cattle sellers have not typically fared well in recouping their losses when a dealer fails to pay.

President-elect Joe Biden will take office on Jan. 20, with many tough decisions to make pertaining to the agriculture sector.

“APHIS will evaluate the properties of the organism, rather than the method used to produce it, to determine whether the organism will pose a plant health risk.”

“Although the 2018 farm bill legalized hemp cultivation, it didn’t change CBD’s legal status. It’s still considered a pharmaceutical drug.”

We have been hearing about the promises of biotechnology for decades, and we have been able to reap some of the rewards in the form of insect- and herbicide-resistant crops.

A popular outcome of the Trump administration has been a steady push to peel back regulations that impact farmers and ranchers.

In 1986, California’s voters approved a ballot initiative with admirable aspirations. Proposition 65 requires businesses to display clear warnings about the presence of any chemicals that could cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. Although the law initially raised awareness about potential hazards, it has steered off course in recent years. Now, California residents are inundated with warnings on everything from coffee to parking garages.

No stranger to dirty boots, John Dillard, an attorney with OFW Law, focuses his practice on agricultural and environmental litigation.

Faced with the prospect of defeat that would change how it enforces the Clean Water Act (CWA) on animal operations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to drop an appeal of a lower court decision, Alt v. EPA.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are hunting for more power—and agriculture is in their crosshairs.

There is significant debate about whether food containing genetic­ally modified organ­ism (GMO) ingre­dients should be labeled.

Much talk has circulated about the growing role that unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, will have on our daily lives in the future.

If EPA continues on this path, many livestock producers will be saddled with additional costs and the burden of obtaining and complying with NPDES permits.