Abbott, Cornyn to address Cattle Raisers convention

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and others are among speakers scheduled for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association annual convention.

"With our State's ranches facing an endless barrage of crippling regulations from an overreaching federal government, Texas cattle raisers need to know that their Attorney General stands with them and is leading the charge to fight back,” said Abbott.

“In Texas, we are committed to protecting our landowners' private property and Second Amendment rights--and we recognize that landowners know more about proper stewardship of their land than unelected bureaucrats in Washington, DC. Having worked closely with the TSCRA to protect the fundamental principles that we share, I am thrilled to be a part of this year's convention and look forward to sharing the latest chapter in our fight to foster economic opportunity and protect our fundamental constitutional rights."

The Cattle Raisers Convention will be held March 22-24 in Fort Worth. Abbott is scheduled to speak at 11:15 a.m. Saturday.

Abbott has battled the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against unnecessary and costly regulations that could hurt the cattle industry.

In November, the EPA denied TSCRA’s request to waive the current Renewable Fuels Standard in light of corn shortages and rising feed costs.

Joe Parker Jr., TSCRA president, said at the time that continuing to mandate that 40 percent of the U.S. corn crop to go directly toward ethanol production will escalate “an already dire situation by bolstering an artificial market” that will push some ranching families out of business.

Sen. John Cornyn, (R-Texas), will also speak on Saturday, just prior to Abbott.

“I look forward to joining hundreds of ranching families at the 136th Annual Cattle Raisers Convention,” Sen. Cornyn said. “With the continued drought, it has been a hard time for those in the cattle business. At the federal level, we need to look for greater opportunities abroad to sell U.S. beef, push back on overzealous federal regulators, and provide ranching families with more predictability in the tax code.”

Cornyn will update attendants on federal legislation and regulations that could affect the cattle industry, including immigration and border security, how the pending sequester will affect ranchers and landowners, and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), an issue Cornyn has been heavily involved with.