California Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-48) joined the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association and other members of the Agricultural President’s Council on a day long tour of agriculture in the Central San Joaquin Valley. Rubio, who represents areas including Baldwin Park, Covina, Glendora and Azsu, had the opportunity to visit Dos Palos Coop Red Top Gin, The Specialty Crop Company, Fowler Packing as well as Minturn Huller Coop. The Assemblywoman was joined by Association President/CEO Roger Isom, Director of Technical Services Chris McGlothlin and Director of Regulatory Affairs Jodi Raley. The primary issues discussed were water availability, necessary oversight from legislature over regulatory agencies, along with discussing the impacts operations are beginning to feel from the ag overtime and minimum wage bills. The Association looks forward to building our relationship with this Assemblywoman and future opportunities to bring southern California representatives to the Valley!

Last month the Association, in working with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD), solicited potential participants for an Electric ATV Incentive Program, in which the SJVAPCD would pay 75% of the cost of an electric ATV to replace old fuel fired ATVs. The list of participants was submitted with the District’s application for funding and the funds are anticipated to be approved next month with the hopes of issuing vouchers for the replacements at the beginning of 2018. The Association continues to see this project through. President/CEO Roger Isom, Director of Technical Services Chris McGlothlin and Director of Regulatory Affairs Jodi Raley met with an ATV dealer to learn more about how electric ATVs operate and the feasibility of electric equipment on a farming operation. After lengthy discussion and a demo, it seems incredibly promising! We will continue to be engaged in seeing this program come to fruition so stay tuned!

As the season continues, it is important to remain vigilant to invasive cotton insect pests. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Pink Bollworm Program has released their latest Silverleaf Whitefly Report from August 14, 2017 to September 14, 2017. Please use and share this report to maintain the industry effort to eliminate sticky cotton! To view the Silverleaf Whitefly Monitoring Report (8/14/2017-9/14/2017) click the link below.

http://bit.ly/2xTvXCY 

This past week, CCGGA President/CEO Roger Isom testified before the California Air Resources Board touting the success of the incentives approach to replacing tractors and harvesters in an effort to stave off a mandatory replacement regulation for tractors and harvesters.  It was yet another hearing/meeting in a two-year process for CARB and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.  CARB announced they are now looking at putting a firm date in place by which all Tier 0 and Tier 1 engine equipped tractors and harvesters would have to be replaced. Those dates were not announced and Isom encouraged the board to allow the incentives to work. Isom also briefed the board on the huge influx of money coming from the recent Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) budget bill that was passed that will being $135 million in incentive funding for agricultural equipment. This is very significant and should be allowed to be utilized first, Isom stated. The latest timeline has the Air District adopting the State Implementation Plan (SIP) in December and CARB will consider the plan in March.

At a workshop last night, the environmental community blasted the oil and agricultural industries for not doing enough to clean up the air.  To make matters worse, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) failed to recognize the accomplishments that agriculture has made to clean up the air and the efforts that agriculture has made to find new solutions for reducing emissions.  Those new efforts include the significant Cap & Trade funding for agriculture, the efforts to create a second-generation AG ICE program to electrify ag pump engines, the research and development of biogas solutions, and the most recent investigation of incentives to replace tractors, harvesters and all-terrain vehicles.

There was particular attention to almond harvesting, including one attendee who blamed the recent passing of their father-in-law on an almond harvesting operation that blew dust on their house.  The Association commented that research is underway by the Almond Board to look at low dust almond harvesters, and there is an incentive program to replace low dust harvesters with NRCS, and one under development by the SJVAPCD.  ARB did announce there will be a rule regarding tractors that is based upon incentives, but has backstop dates by which this equipment will need to be replaced.  ARB did not provide those details at this meeting stating they are still under development. It is clear that the situation is growing worse as we head into the last few months of plan development with adoption slated for December.  Ag will need to be engaged.

This month, the Governor signed the Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan bills, AB 109 and AB 134, which set forth how money collected from Cap and Trade would be spent.  Agriculture will receive $300 million in this plan during this fiscal year.  The money will be allocated as follows:

• $60 million to food processors to reduce GHG emissions
• $6 million for renewable energy research and development in agriculture
• $99 million in dairy digester research and development and alternative manure management
• $135 million to reduce emissions from agricultural pumps, tractors, harvesters, and other equipment

The Association played a critical role in creating this funding, including being involved in high level meetings during the negotiations of the Cap & Trade legislation.  While the Association’s involvement was necessitated by the need to continue the Cap & Trade program for food processors, we saw this as an opportunity to re-direct this funding towards projects that actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet help our farms, cotton gins, and tree nut hullers and processors address critical air quality issues through the use of incentives.  With a potential mandatory farm equipment replacement regulation looming in the not so distant future, it was important to seize the opportunity while it was there.  Stay tuned for details on when this money is available and how to receive this funding.

CCGGA PAC Fundraiser

Beretta Shotgun Raffle!

There are a few ways to purchase tickets!

1.    Tickets are available to be purchased online (link below).

2.    Tickets may be purchased directly from the association by contacting our office at (559) 252-0684.

3.    All CCGGA Board Members and Advisors will be selling tickets.

All payments made with a personal credit card or personal check will be allocated to CCGGA Federal PAC.

All payments made with a corporate credit card or corporate check will be allocated to CCGGA State PAC.

WIN A 686 SILVER PIGEON I!

Tickets - $100/ea. (limit 250 entries)

Payment must be received by 5 pm Wednesday, Nov. 22
 to 1785 N. Fine Ave. Fresno, CA 93727.

All payments made with a personal credit card will go to the CCGGA Federal PAC.

All payments made with a company credit card will go to the CCGGA State PAC.

Drawing - Wednesday, Dec.  6, 2017

Questions? Call (559) 252-0684

Contributions to the California Cotton Ginners & Growers Federal PAC are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Contributions from corporations, foreign nationals and federal government contractors are prohibited. **Federal law requires political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contribution exceeds $200 in an election cycle.

**Drawing will be held at CCGGA Board Meeting, winners need not be present

California Cotton Ginners & Growers Association
1785 N. Fine Avenue
Fresno, CA  93727

Purchase Tickets

By: Jizell Lopez

The Saqui Law Group

1. Q. What is an AB 60 License?
A. An AB 60 License is issued when an individual does not have “satisfactory proof of legal presence in the U.S.” Many people who have an AB 60 License are legally in the U.S. and are work-authorized. In certain cases, an individual who has an AB 60 License can provide proof of legal status, but their documents are not considered compliant with state regulations and the REAL ID Act and therefore cannot be accepted by the DMV.

2. Q. Is an AB 60 License an acceptable identification document for I-9 purposes?
A. Yes. The AB 60 License is an approved document a potential employee may wish to provide as a List B Identity Document. As long as the AB 60 License meets the requirements as stated on Form I-9, it is an acceptable List B Identity Document. The employee must accompany the AB 60 License with a List C document to prove work authorization in order for the company to be in compliance with I-9.

3. Q. What if I refuse to accept an AB 60 License?
A. The refusal to accept a valid I-9 document from an individual may be considered a discriminatory act, especially if it leads to an individual’s inability to work. A company cannot discriminate against individuals based on the use of an AB 60 License. In addition, the company may not assume the individual is undocumented because they have presented an AB 60 License.
If the document is valid on its face and meets the I-9 requirements, then it should be accepted. If an individual presents a valid AB 60 License as a List B Identity Document, it is best to not inquire further as to why it may be a restricted License.

4. Q. When does the revised Form I-9 go into effect?
A. On September 18, 2017, employers should have stated using the revised I-9 form. The new version can be found here. In addition, the USCIS also updated its handbook (here) which provides guidance on how to complete the form.

COUNSEL TO MANAGEMENT:

If your company is given an AB 60 License as a List B Identification document, you must accept the license as long as it contains a photograph of the potential employee and other identifying information such as a name, date of birth, sex, height, etc. Your company must also collect a List C Authorization document along with the AB 60 License.

Do not assume a potential employee’s legal status if they present an AB 60 License. Keep in mind, the purpose of I-9 Forms is work authorization or eligibility to work in the U.S. and not an individual’s immigration status.

Lastly, the revised I-9 form does not change the use of the AB 60 License as a List B Identity document. If you have any questions regarding the use of an AB 60 License or the revised I-9 form, please contact the experts at The Saqui Law Group.

As the agricultural industry, and many other industries, look down the pipeline of regulations to come from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) it may be quite daunting. We have the Large Spark Ignition rule (aka Forklift Rule), Transportation Refrigeration Unit (TRU) rule in early rule making discussions, the Farm Equipment Rule (aka Tractor Rule) and the truck and bus rule which continually phases out older trucks. But this does not seem to be enough. This past week the CARB held a public workshop in Sacramento to begin discussions of seeking out additional pathways for freight facilities (airports, seaports, railyards, and warehouse/distribution centers) to further reduce emissions. While it was not specifically discussed, CARB staff were instructed at a March 2017 board meeting to return to the board with concepts for an indirect source rule. This simply cannot happen. Before we are able to see the reductions from the programs that are currently in place or being developed CARB is evaluating additional areas to regulate emission reductions. The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association was represented by Director of Regulatory Affairs Jodi Raley at the workshop. Raley probed CARB staff on what the qualifications and criteria were being outlined to define a “warehouse and distribution center”. CARB currently is identifying nearly 50,000 facilities in the state that could fit this definition, it is the Association’s push to exclude agricultural facilities from this definition. CARB’s plan is to conduct yet another survey effort for any of the applicable facilities. Additionally, Raley made it clear to the staff that our Association remains opposed to applying additional regulations or mitigation measures before we even begin to see the reductions that industry is already having to comply with. Our Association was the only agricultural association to testify at this week’s meeting.

We have already begun to receive reports that whitefly counts are beginning to rise and applications are underway. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Pink Bollworm Program has released their Silverleaf Whitefly Report for the San Joaquin Valley from July 11, 2017 to August 11, 2017. As we continue through this growing season, we are urging folks to remember the efforts that were discussed at this year’s Sticky Cotton Summit. To be knowledgeable of the current pest pressures and knowing what tools and practices to implement early on will be the key to ensuring there is no sticky cotton in the San Joaquin Valley! We strongly encourage for you to utilize and share with others!

Silverleaf Whitefly Monitoring Report (7/11/2017-8/11/2017)