“Property taxes are what’s putting families out of business. This bill makes that worse. And you’re backing it because of a death tax talking point?” — Trent Loos
It was supposed to be about death tax relief.
Instead, the Senate’s sweeping agriculture-and-tax package—known across rural America as the Big Ugly Bill—has triggered a political wildfire. And on June 28, Trent Loos lit the match, grilling NCBA Senior VP Ethan Lane in a brutal 16-minute exchange on a Loos Tales Special Report.
Lane defended NCBA’s support, pointing to a boosted estate tax exemption—$15M per individual, $30M per couple—plus preservation of Section 179, 199A, and stepped-up basis. He called it “a fairly cheap industry to keep happy in a big bill like this.”
Loos wasn’t buying it.
“This isn’t tax relief. It’s a land dispossession bill in disguise.”
Estate Tax Bait
Lane’s defense focused narrowly on financial tools that help large family ranches survive generational transfer. But according to Loos, that’s just a distraction.
“You’re talking about more spending, not tax cuts,” Loos said.
“Meanwhile, this bill jacks up property valuations, accelerates local tax pressure, and wipes out landowner rights.”
The Real Threats: Pipelines, Preemption, and Silicon Valley Land Grabs
Carbon Pipelines & 45Q/45Z
The bill preserves federal tax credits—45Q and 45Z—that have already ignited a wave of CO₂ pipeline seizures across Iowa, the Dakotas, and the Midwest. Landowners are being steamrolled by Summit Carbon Solutions, while multinationals rake in the subsidy cash.
“Those credits are transferring wealth to Big Carbon,” Loos warned.
“And NCBA’s silence is complicity.”
Lane admitted NCBA has no policy on 45Q or 45Z.
“Unless our affiliates tell us to engage, we don’t.”
AI Data Center Preemption
The Senate had included a clause that would have stripped local and state governments of the power to regulate AI data center development—overriding zoning laws, environmental reviews, and even water rights—but that provision was stripped from the bill following intense backlash.
“You’re giving Silicon Valley a blank check to drain rural water tables and hijack the grid,” Loos said, referencing data center water use and power consumption crises across the country.
Lane deflected, saying any NCBA involvement would require a formal vote—scheduled after the bill could already be law.
The NCBA Shrug
Lane’s mantra was consistent: we don’t act without policy.
“We don’t just make it up,” he said. “If producers want us to oppose AI data centers, they’ll say so at our summer meeting.”
Loos wasn’t having it.
“By the time you vote, it’s too late. This bill already strips county control. And you’re backing it.”
What This Means
This is bigger than tax codes. It’s a test of who really represents rural America.
- Carbon pipelines are being greenlit with federal subsidies and eminent domain powers, while NCBA says “not our issue.”
- AI land grabs are shielded from local oversight, and the NCBA shrugs.
- The so-called tax relief bill entrenches corporate land control, energy monopolies, and public-to-private wealth transfer—under cover of rancher-friendly branding.
“It’s not tax reform. It’s controlled demolition dressed up as ag policy.”
If You’re Paying Attention…
- Call your House rep and demand no vote on AI preemption or 45Q-style carbon capture scams.
- Organize your county commissioners—fight for local zoning rights before Silicon Valley writes them off.
- Ask your state beef council: Where’s your voice on AI water use, grid pressure, and pipeline seizures?
More processors. Fewer pipeline parasites.
More control. Less compliance.
This bill isn’t for ranchers. It’s for the regime.
Watch the full report below:
Find trusted, local ranchers who won’t sell you out to Big Carbon or Silicon Valley—only at BeefMaps.com.
Bonus: Watch the short documentary UNDER PRESSURE: A Carbon Capture Land Grab Threatens Rural America — a chilling look at what happened when a carbon pipeline ruptured in a small Mississippi town, exposing the hidden dangers of this federally subsidized land seizure scheme:
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