Jun 05, 2018
CLEVELAND, MS -- Wear cotton. Eat rice. And catfish. That was the theme of the Delta Council meeting here last Friday. Per tradition, there was no shortage of seersucker suits as the annual gathering is a celebration of cotton clothing and all things Mississippi agriculture, including rice.
Attendees included Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, Senator Roger Wicker, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, and more than 2,000 Delta Council members.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt was this year’s keynote speaker and he discussed President Trump’s “America First” agenda, sharing his belief that countries around the globe are able to benefit when we put the United States first.
Pruitt outlined the EPA’s three-pronged agenda that includes revisiting the basics in the fundamental rule of law, citing previous agency action on Waters of the United States (WOTUS) as an inconsistent uncertainty for the agriculture industry. Second, the EPA is focused on the process of policy, as Pruitt explained that regulation by litigation is an example of abuse within the system. And third, EPA is focused on cooperative federalism. ”It is important to meet with and hear directly from the people of Mississippi so that we can work cooperatively to advance the President’s agenda and protect the state’s vital natural resources,” he said.
“Our biggest challenge is to change the attitude that true environmentalism is prohibition,” Pruitt said. “True environmentalism is not prohibition but is simply stewardship. The President has rejected the misguided narrative that we must choose between protecting the environment and growing the economy. We can do both, and we have done both – better than any other nation, in fact.”
Tributes were made during the ceremony to recognize two very special Mississippians who both are stepping aside in 2018 but together helped shape the Delta Council and Mississippi agriculture: the long-time director of the Delta Council, Chip Morgan, and Senator Thad Cochran.
“This event emphasizes the legacy and tradition associated with southern rice,” said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. “The work of the Delta Council is instrumental in advancing the U.S. agriculture industry, and we appreciate our longstanding partnership as we work together to promote U.S. rice. It was heartwarming to hear the tribute to Senator Cochran but also see Chip Morgan get the thanks and recognition he so richly deserves for his service to the Delta Council and the entire rice industry.”