Today, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Sackett vs. EPA, and the High Court overturned the 9th Circuit ruling that had been in EPA’s favor.
Justice Alito for the majority dramatically narrowed the amount of wetlands covered by the Clean Water Act to include only those with a “continuous surface connection” to larger bodies of water. This effectively rewrites the Clean Water Act to exclude wetlands that are adjacent to, but not directly connected to larger bodies of water.
This is considered a big win for agriculture. The majority opinion adopted the 2006 Waters of the U.S. rule.
The full rule is below:
Sackett Case.pdf
Roger McEowen with Washburn School of Law joined us on Market Day Report for a deeper dive into the ruling an what it means for the 2023 WOTUS rule.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller discusses the state’s latest efforts to prevent the New World screwworm from reaching Texas.
February 02, 2026 12:22 PM
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Economists are also closely watching how policy decisions in Washington could influence markets moving forward. Analysts say deferred futures for corn, soybeans, and wheat suggest markets are operating near break-even levels, not at prices that would encourage expanded production.
February 02, 2026 12:13 PM
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The biggest development of 2025 in agricultural law and taxation was the signing into law on July 4 of the Trump Administration’s landmark legislation, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA)
February 02, 2026 11:40 AM
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House Agriculture Committee Chairman “GT” Thompson is pushing a “Farm Bill 2.0.”
February 02, 2026 10:56 AM
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Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, provides new updates on winter storm impacts and the outlook for rural power reliability.
January 30, 2026 02:59 PM
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The federal government’s status is far from the only factor moving the markets on Friday. Two critical reports released today on producer inflation and the status of the U.S. cattle herd are also top of mind.
January 30, 2026 12:51 PM
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