News

February 4, 2020 In News

Bovine Veterinarian: Presidential Candidate Wants To Ban Feedlots

“Our independent family farmers and ranchers are continuing to be squeezed by large, multinational corporations that, because of their buying power and size, run roughshod over the marketplace. We need to fix the broken system – that means protecting family farmers and ranchers and holding…

February 1, 2020 In News

The Wisconsin State Farmer: Summary judgment issued against R-CALF in checkoff case

“The Magistrate held that for decades USDA had been violating producers’ rights and the Constitution by turning over money to unaccountable state beef councils.”

January 31, 2020 In News

Drovers: Beef Checkoff Prevails In Crucial Court Ruling

A Montana magistrate judge granted summary judgement Wednesday (Jan. 29, 2020) to the government and the 15 qualified state beef councils targeted in the R-CALF vs. Sonny Perdue lawsuit. That decision will now be forwarded to the federal district court for a final ruling, a process…

January 14, 2020 In News

Groups submit brief to Iowa Supreme Court in Clean Water Lawsuit as State seeks to “close off” judiciary to citizen groups on behalf of “Big Ag”

Yesterday, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) and Food & Water Watch (FWW) filed a brief before the Iowa Supreme Court, defending a Polk County District Court ruling that the organizations’ lawsuit against the State of Iowa to restore the Raccoon River could proceed to trial….

January 10, 2020 In News

Agri-Pulse Daybreak: NEPA proposal could shield USDA loans

Listen to the story here. The administration’s proposal to set deadlines for National Environmental Policy Act analyses and reduce the number of federal actions that would be subject to review also singles out a USDA program for attention. The proposal would exclude from NEPA review projects enabled…

December 22, 2019 In News

Delaware Public Media: Lawyer weighs in on state’s agreement with Mountaire

Some advocates have concerns about an agreement reached between state environmental regulators and Mountaire Farms over wastewater violations from 2017. The agreement resolves permit violations associated with a 2017 wastewater treatment facility failure at the chicken company’s Millsboro plant over which the Delaware Department of…

November 20, 2019 In News

The Denver Channel: Meat packing plant broke law for 5 yrs.

Colorado regulators are now rethinking how they handled dangerous water discharges from one of the world’s largest meat packers.

Agricultural tile outlet draining into a section of Bear Creek on land farmed by Justin Hanson. Story County, Iowa.

September 12, 2019 In News

Court Will Hear Case Seeking Raccoon River Restoration and Factory Farm Moratorium

Late yesterday afternoon, Polk County District Court Judge Robert Hanson ordered that a lawsuit to restore the Racoon River, heavily polluted with agricultural runoff, may proceed over the objections of the State of Iowa and agencies implementing the voluntary Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

September 4, 2019 In News

Jessica Culpepper: Mobilizing Lawyers in the Fight for a Better Food System

Jessica Culpepper, director of the Food Project, talks about her vision for a better, healthier food system that results in healthy, empowered communities and sustainable livelihoods for farmers — and why Public Justice is helping to organize lawyers to join the fight.

September 3, 2019 In News

Public Justice Fights Unconstitutional NC “Anti-Sunshine Law”

Imagine your elderly family member, placed in the care of a nursing home, being abused by their caretaker. Imagine your six-month-old child spending the day at a trusted daycare, and being punished by their daycare worker – who breaks the child’s leg. Imagine a major industry in…