Agricultural News
Governor Elect Mary Fallin Emphasizes the Importance of Agriculture to Her Administration at the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Meeting
Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:32:25 CST
The President of the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association told the annual meeting of the organization on Saturday that to this point- the Governor Elect of the state, Mary Fallin, has a perfect record with the organization. Jimmy Musick told the group that Fallin promised wheat growers during the campaign, that if she won the election, she would make an appearance at their annual meeting here in December. She won, becoming the first female Governor in the state's history, and she kept her promise by showing up- and as she noted, showed up on time.
The Governor Elect seems to "get it" about the importance of agriculture as a part of the Oklahoma economy- as well as the importance of the rural lifestyle to many in the state as well. She emphasized multiple times during the speech to the OWGA that she believes Oklahoma agriculture is important- and that helping Oklahoma agriculture is one way to help Oklahoma achieve prosperity in the days to come.
After her speech to the OWGA, we talked with her about several subjects, including the possibility that has been raised by some groups of creating a super environmental agency within the state. Earlier this month, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs called for taking all water quality functions out of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and giving them to the Department of Environmental Quality and then consolidating in the water board-basically setting up a state EPA. Ag interests have recalled for us a similar battle when the DEQ was first organized a few years back. Governor Fallin said that she would be counting on input from the industry's impacted by any government consolidation efforts, but she adds that all ideas will be on the table to find ways to help government be more efficient and work better.
Click on the LISTEN BAR to hear our full conversation with Governor Elect Fallin.
By the way- we have posted pictures we have taken from the day- including shots of OSU President Burns Hargis, Governor Elect Mary Fallin, Oklahoma Congressman and new Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Frank Lucas and a lot more. Click here for our set of Oklahoma Wheat Growers Meeting 2010 pictures as posted on FLICKR.
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