Dear Members,
Elections are challenging and filled with emotion on all sides. This election season has been a testament to that, and we still have weeks to go before they reach a final decision. Recounts, challenges, and outstanding ballots could still change the election’s trajectory; however, many of the takeaways are somewhat known.
It appears that we will once again have a divided government, albeit with a different combination of leadership. Democrats will lead the House of Representatives, Republicans will maintain control of the Senate, and the odds are strongly in favor of Former Vice President Joe Biden winning the Presidency. The last President to come into office with a divided Government was George W. Bush, which means that bipartisanship will be required to get anything of significance done at the Federal level. Agricultural issues are one of the few remaining areas where bipartisanship still occurs. Whether it is citrus disease funding, trade policy, or immigration reform, we have a history of finding advocates regardless of party to advance business interests. The agricultural organizations will continue this work, regardless of the final election outcomes.
Great news did come out of the Californian elections; one of the largest threats to agriculture was Proposition 15, the Split Roll Tax Initiative. We are proud to report that the proposition failed to secure enough votes. Meaning that current Proposition 13 protections will remain in place for California agriculture. It was a close vote, and the efforts of all who participated in agriculture and broader business communities were necessary and essential for the defeat. Thank you to all who voted and supported our efforts through the Alliance of California’s Farmers and Ranchers!
Sincerely,
Casey Creamer
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