Farm group hears from AG candidates

Once a top toy regulator for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Democratic attorney general candidate Mike Lee waded into the regulatory debate Wednesday over a contentious hog farm operating near Arkansas' Buffalo National River.

Lee, speaking at a candidates forum sponsored by the Arkansas Farm Bureau, said that "there should be no compromise on saving the Buffalo," though a campaign spokesman later in the day clarified that Lee will support the final decision of state environmental regulators.

The farm, with more than 6,500 pigs, is in the midst of appealing the state Department of Environmental Quality's decision to not approve a new operating permit for the farm. The attorney general's office is not involved in the hog farm's current appeals, which are going through an administrative body.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, a Republican running for re-election to a second four-year term, delivered a pre-taped message to the Farm Bureau that did not mention the farm. In a later statement, Rutledge said she is prepared to discuss a legal strategy with the necessary state agencies in the event of a lawsuit over the permitting process.

Farm Bureau President Randy Veach said the group considers the issue one of C&H's owners' "right to farm." The bureau does not endorse candidates.

Neither Rutledge nor Lee face an opponent in their respective party primaries, and both candidates have been flying under the political radar this spring as primary contests capture most of the attention.

A natural cleavage in the attorney general's race is the two candidates' backgrounds: Lee is a former federal regulator; Rutledge has joined suits against federal regulators.

In her first term, Rutledge has been a frequent combatant against federal regulations, especially those put forward by the Environmental Protection Agency, and she was appointed chairman of the national Republican Attorneys General Association, whose members often challenge the reach of the federal government.

Touting his own past work representing farmers injured by faulty equipment, Lee said he is aware of issues facing farmers.

"I am the progressive candidate in this race, and that does not mean I will not listen, that does not mean that I will not be reasonable," Lee told farmers. "As attorney general, I will always follow the law."

In her video message, Rutledge said she grew up on a cattle farm and married a farmer. She is expecting her first child this fall, "harvest season," she noted.

"Our industry and our way of life is under attack," Rutledge said. "As your attorney general, I pushed back."

After hearing both speeches, Saline County farmer Terry Moseley said opposition to the hog farm was a deal breaker for his support of a candidate.

"I think they're doing the farmers wrong on that one," said Moseley, who raises goats and chickens.

Listening to the speeches at the back of the forum was Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Michael John Gray, a state representative and farmer from Augusta. Gray said the farm should have never been permitted near the river in the first place, but that because the owners have not been found in violation of any regulations, the state should reimburse them with surplus funds to move elsewhere. He said he hoped that would happen before the election in November.

"We don't want to create an environment in Arkansas where every farmer thinks they're next," Gray said.

The Libertarian candidate for attorney general, Kerry Hicks, also spoke to the Farm Bureau. He criticized Rutledge's rejection of publicly referred ballot proposals, saying, "No one is free anymore."

Hicks is not a licensed attorney, which is not a requirement for the state position. He told a reporter that not having passed the Bar gave him "more perspective."

Metro on 05/10/2018