Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge was appointed Wednesday to serve on a national agriculture committee.
Rutledge and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced that they will co-chair the newly formed National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Agriculture Committee.
Following last week’s NAAG Summer Meeting in San Diego, newly elected NAAG President South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley named Rutledge and Miller as co-chairs of the committee.
“Agriculture is vitally important to my State, adding more than $20 billion to our economy and making it the largest industry in Arkansas,” Rutledge said. “It is critically important for attorneys general who share a common goal of advocating for and protecting the agriculture industry and its participants to have a venue to collaborate and share new ideas. I am honored to join my colleague and friend, Attorney General Miller, in this effort to co-chair the new Agriculture Committee, and I appreciate the confidence of President Jackley in both of us to lead this committee.”
“Agriculture is constantly evolving. As State attorneys general we need to ensure that we work together on legal issues that impact farmers and, more broadly, the industry,” Miller said. “I look forward to collaborating with Attorney General Rutledge and other colleagues who share an interest in agriculture.”
The full membership of the Agriculture Committee will be finalized in the coming weeks.
In addition to serving as the co-chair of the Agriculture Committee, Rutledge has also received the following committee assignments: Energy and Environment Committee, Federalism/Preemption Committee, Internet Safety/Cyber Privacy and Security Committee, and Veteran Affairs Committee.
“Along with co-chairing the Agriculture Committee, my other committee assignments will allow me the opportunity to represent the best interests of all Arkansans with my fellow attorneys general,” Rutledge said. “I strongly believe in growing our energy production with an all-of-the-above approach and protecting our environment, but both must be done methodically and not through heavy handed regulations and orders that go beyond the scope of the federal government. At the same time, we must find new ways to protect our children from a growing cyber threat and safeguard consumers from what seems like a different security breach of personal data every day. Arkansans already know my commitment to our active duty service members and veterans, and I am excited to share what we are doing in Arkansas with my colleagues.”
Arkansas Farm Bureau president Randy Veach said Thursday that the appointment will help the state in many ways.
“Any additional focus on the legal issues surrounding agriculture will be beneficial and we welcome the NAAG’s creation of a committee for that purpose. We are pleased to see Leslie Rutledge involved in a leadership role with this group,” Veach said. “Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas’ economy and has shaped the culture and heritage of our state. Our attorney general’s ability to convey that in front of this new committee will be valuable.”