Heading east: Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain will be in Washington today through Wednesday to discuss key agriculture issues with President Donald Trump’s administration. Strain, who is also president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, will meet with Ray Starling, Trump’s special assistant for agriculture, trade and food assistance. Strain will discuss the importance of international trade agreements for agriculture, implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act, and the need for a framework that provides farmers and ranchers a legal, reliable workforce.
Sound off: A new survey is going online today to determine the effects of last year’s devastating flood on Louisiana homeowners. The Associated Press reports the survey is the first step in applying for the federal disaster recovery aid that soon will be available. It will posted on the Restore Louisiana website. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration will use the survey responses to help determine whether people are eligible for the homeowner assistance program that will be funded out of block grant aid allocated by Congress. It will also help the state determine what unmet needs still exist for homeowners. The survey is expected to take about 15 minutes and doesn’t require any documentation. All homeowners with some damage are encouraged to take the survey, even if they don’t believe they’ll qualify for assistance. Take the survey and get more information.
Taking the oath: Judge Neil Gorsuch will be sworn in as the newest associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court today. The Associated Press reports Gorsuch, 49, first took the oath during a private ceremony this morning in the high court’s Justices’ Conference Room. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath. That will be followed by a public White House ceremony, where Justice Anthony Kennedy is to administer the oath. Gorsuch’s 66-day confirmation process was swift, but bitterly divisive. It saw Senate Republicans trigger the “nuclear option” to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster threshold for all future high court nominees. The change allowed the Senate to hold a final vote with a simple majority. Gorsuch replaces the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly in February 2016. Read more.
