The 2018 mid-term elections changed the makeup of Congress, with 100 new members who took office in January. National Grocers Association (NGA) President Peter Larkin told the grocers in attendance at the November 2018 ROFDA Fall Conference in Arizona to invite these new members to their stores and talk about the issues impacting them on […]
Tag: legislation
Rural North Dakota Grocers May Soon Get Help From The U.S. Postal Service
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest The Republican Party dominates state politics in North Dakota. With large majorities in both the House and Senate, state politics can be somewhat predictable, said John “Jiggs” Dyste, president and CEO of the North Dakota Grocers Association (NDGA). But North Dakota is different from most other states in at least one way. […]
Now-Thriving Arizona Seeing Grocers Investing In Stores And Growth
by Treva Bennett/staff writer Competition is alive and well in the Arizona grocery industry, and it looks to become even more so in the future. With a strong economy and growing population, Arizona—one of the hardest-hit states during the recession—is becoming more attractive to national retailers, according to Tim McCabe, president of the Arizona Food […]
USDA To Protect SNAP Participants’ Access To Assistance In February
At the direction of President Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Jan. 8 revealed a plan to ensure that low-income Americans have access to the nutrition they need during the partial government shutdown over funding for the border wall. The plan provides full benefits for participants in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) […]
California Perspective: Cups, Plates And Straws, Oh My
by Ronald K. Fong/president & CEO, California Grocers Association There is an expression—“get on the bus or get run over by the bus”—that rings true from time to time in politics. Every so often, when faced with huge policy shifts on the horizon, one is forced to make this very calculation. CGA did this a […]
Dairy Groups Applaud Updated NAFTA Pact, Urge Congressional Approval
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) on Nov. 30 commended the Trump Administration for signing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which had been agreed to in principle in September. According to NMPF and USDEC, the pact will benefit America’s dairy sector by maintaining the overall U.S.-Mexico trading structure of […]
NAMI Applauds U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is voicing its support for the Trump Administration’s efforts to reach an agreement with Canada and Mexico to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), renamed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. According to the organization, the agreement represents a positive step in preserving duty-free access to two of the […]
Oklahoma To Become 45th State To Allow Winery-To-Consumer Shipping
Starting Oct. 1, Oklahoma wine enthusiasts can have wine shipped directly to their homes and offices by U.S. wineries licensed to ship. Previously, wine drinkers in Oklahoma were limited to purchasing only those wines carried by in-state wholesalers and retailers. “Not unlike other states, the road to expanding consumer choice in Oklahoma was full of […]
Larkin: Independent Grocers Are Vitally Important To Political Process
by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report The 2018 midterm elections are quickly approaching, as observed by all the political ads that currently pepper our airwaves, and much is on the line for both political parties. A look at historical data on congressional elections suggests that Democrats will have an […]
Prop. 65 Warning No Longer Needed For Coffee; Cereal Under Scrutiny
by Ron Fong/president and CEO, California Grocers Association In many respects, California is like an island unto itself when it comes to laws and regulations. For better or worse, our state is home to a number of laws and regulations that exist nowhere else in the nation. Among the most notorious and controversial of them […]
Release Of Retailer SNAP Data Imminent
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) request to withhold annual individual store SNAP redemption information. Following this decision, FMI immediately filed an application for a stay in the U.S. Supreme Court. “Given the significant case load of the Court, we believe it is highly unlikely the stay will […]
PFMA Appoints Acme, Supervalu Execs To Board Of Directors
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) has new representation on its board of directors. The association appointed Bill Crosby, VP of operations for Acme Markets, and Bob Holmes, area sales director for Supervalu, to its board. “We are delighted to welcome Bill and Bob to the PFMA Board of Directors,” said Alex Baloga, PFMA president […]
Independent Mississippi Grocer Testifies On Tax Reform
On Wednesday, July 25, Wettlin Treppendahl, single-store operator of Woodville, Mississippi-based Treppendahl’s Super Foods, testified before the House Small Business Committee in a hearing titled “The Tax Law’s Impact on Main Street.” The hearing will examine how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has affected small businesses. Members of the committee will hear directly from […]
California Perspective: State Showed Its Purple In June Polling
by Ron Fong/president and CEO, California Grocers Association Californians went to the polls in June to determine matchups for November’s General Election. Despite California’s reputation as being solidly blue and progressive, this election showed the shades of purple that exist up and down the state. While a vast majority of Californians remain socially very liberal […]
NGA Applauds Advancement Of The Farm Bill To Committee
The National Grocers Association (NGA), a national trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, is reacting positively to the House’s vote to move the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, to a conference committee. Lawmakers seek to reach on compromise on two different versions of the bill. In late June, the […]
Missouri General Assembly Has ‘Most Successful Session In The State’s History’
Last year about this time, Dan Shaul told The Shelby Report that while the General Assembly had done some good work in 2017, it could have done a whole heck of a lot more. This year, that heck of a lot more got done, and there is more to come. A lot of work got […]
Massachusetts Governor Signs ‘Grand Bargain’ Bill, Raises Minimum Wage
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker last week signed “The Grand Bargain Bill.” The compromise legislation, approved by the state’s House and Senate, will create a permanent sales tax holiday, increase the minimum wage over the next five years and create a new paid family and medical leave program in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Food Association […]
NJFC Applauds New Jersey’s Single-Use Bag Reduction Legislation
The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) is voicing its support for the New Jersey legislature after it passed a bill that would reduce the use of single-use plastic and paper shopping bags. The NJFC is hopeful that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will sign the bill. Under the plan, retailers would charge a five-cent fee […]
Senate Passes Farm Bill, Omits House Bill’s SNAP Requirements
The Senate passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill on June 28 with a bipartisan vote of 86-11. The $867 billion bill does not include the controversial work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients that were included in the House version of the bill. It also restates a prohibition of interchange and […]
Retailers Say Customer Service Will Suffer Under California Privacy Law
The National Retail Federation is calling new state privacy legislation signed into law in California yesterday “deeply flawed” and said customer service could be severely hampered if the legislature fails to address retailers’ concerns before the measure takes effect in 2020. The law prohibits retailers from treating customers who opt out of data sharing any […]
