By Stephen Smoot, The Shinnston News & Harrison County Journal
MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — Last week, during the annual meeting of the West Virginia Poultry Association, Government Affairs director Dwayne O’Dell provided an update on different actions of the state and federal government related closely to the interests of agriculture.
He started with mentioning a 78 page report from Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Though not always based on what O’Dell called “sound science,” it contains a “significant portion” that addresses use of pesticides. He also speculated that little of its presentation on that subject could be applied on a widespread basis.
Next, he turned to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” recently passed by the United States Congress and backed by President Donald Trump. It preserved the $15 million floor on estate taxes set by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This helps to preserve moderate to large scale family-run farming operations as they pass from one generation to the next.
“This will benefit agriculture down the road and the next generations,” he explained.
