ISSUES AND POLICY
While TSCRA supports the de-
velopment of brackish groundwater, we do not support legislation that would further complicate our cur- rent groundwater permitting system, give special treatment to brackish groundwater wells, and put addi- tional pressure on the property rights of landowners. Brackish groundwater has been,
and can continue to be, developed under existing law. Additionally, we must develop reliable science, with input of landowners and ground- water conservation districts, which will help us all to better understand our brackish groundwater resourc- es. TSCRA supports additional state funding for the development of this science. As we look at the big picture of
providing water for all Texans, we must make certain local control is preserved. The legislature decided years ago that local groundwater conservation districts are the pre- ferred method for managing ground- water in the state and we must keep this in mind when working on these important groundwater issues. TSCRA will continue working
with the Texas Legislature to pro- tect the private property rights of landowners, especially groundwa- ter. I encourage you to keep a close watch on these and other issues and to contact TSCRA if you have ideas, questions or concerns. In the meantime, continue to pray
for rain, especially since we know you can’t legislate rainfall. Jay Evans serves as president of
Jay Evans Company, a ranch- and resource-management organization that provides services to ranchers and landowners in Texas as well as oper- ating his own stocker program. Jay serves as chair of the TSCRA Natural Resources Committee and is a member of the TSCRA board of directors.
80 The Cattleman May 2015 STAKEHOLDER NEWS
TSCRA Pleased with House Passage of Death Tax Repeal Act
T
EXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIA- tion (TSCRA) Second Vice President Robert
McKnight, a rancher from Fort Davis, says the association is pleased with the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 1105, the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015. The act passed with a vote of 240 to 179. The legislation was authored and championed
by U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady. “Many ranching families have worked hard
and sacrifi ced to build operations to pass down to their children and grandchildren,” McKnight says. “Too often, when it comes time for ranchers to pass their property along to the next genera- tion, the death of a family member also comes with a hefty federal estate tax. Unfortunately, this expensive tax frequently forces ranching families to sell their land and equipment so they can afford to pay it. This also forces ranchers to lay off workers, creating a ripple effect that negatively impacts the entire economy. “Many farm and ranch families are asset-rich and cash-poor, with most of
Robert E. McKnight
the value of their estate attributed to the value of the land they use to raise cattle and grow food and fi ber for consumers around the world,” he says. “Strong export demand has been one of the driving forces in the in-
creased value of crop and pasture land in almost every state, not to men- tion the pressure from commercial development. The increase in the value of farmland has many farm and ranch families concerned that they may trigger the estate tax simply through increasing land values.” In March, at a hearing on the Burden of the Estate Tax on Family Busi-
nesses and Farms, held by the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee, McKnight shared his family’s personal story of facing the death tax, and the resulting consequences to their livelihood and opera- tion in southwest Texas. “When times have been lean, I have had to make sacrifi ces in order
to keep my business above water, but sometimes you run out of places to cut,” he said in his testimony. “That is what happened to my family during hard times brought on by
the estate tax. I had to let go of seasoned employees with families of their own, who were then forced to work elsewhere. The skilled labor that I needed to run my operation was lost.” “As a seventh-generation cattleman, one who has dealt with the death
tax on multiple occasions, I can tell you how emotional and frustrating it can be. I am pleased that the House took action by passing the Death Tax Repeal Act. TSCRA appreciates Rep. Brady for his leadership on this legislation and we urge the Senate to promptly act on repealing the estate tax. Death should never be a taxable event,” McKnight says.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100