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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

SCOTUS Strikes Down Order for USDA Seizure of California Raisins

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a federal program designed to regulate raisin supply and prices is unconstitutional.

The court sided with Fresno, Ca., raisin farmer Marvin Horne who challenged the 1949 marketing order that allowed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to seize raisins from producers to ensure high prices. Justice John Roberts delivered the 8-1 decision of the court, joined by Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito in full, and in part by Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kagan.

“The reserve requirement imposed by the Raisin Committee is a clear physical taking,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “Actual raisins are transferred from the growers to the government. Title to the raisins passes to the Raisin Committee. The Committee disposes of those raisins as it wishes, to promote the purposes of the raisin marketing order.”

The decision struck a blow against one of the New Deal era’s most enduring principles—that the government can confiscate or destroy crops to preserve prices and reserves.

The Obama administration defended the USDA order as a “win-win proposition,” claiming that prices remain high for farmers allowing them to donate excess supply.

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

1 stupid federal program down Hundred + ...left to go

Anonymous said...

So 60 years after the fact the law if finally called unconstitutional. I hope it doesn't take that long for Ocare to be found unconstitutional.

Steve said...

I heard this through the grapevine yesterday....










Sometimes, I'm just too funny!










Today may not be My Day...

Anonymous said...

I remember government cheese. I remember government powdered milk. And government flour and oatmeal and sugar and peanut butter.
But I don't recall ever hearing about government raisins. They would have gone nicely in the oatmeal cookies.

Anonymous said...

The SC says that the government can't prop up the price of raisins but it also says cops can violate the 4th Amendment at will.
Screw the SCOTUS it's even more serpentine then the House, the Senate and the WH.