Agricultural News
State Secretary of Ag Jim Reese Hails OYE as a Good Investment for State Dollars
Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:00:54 CST
The Oklahoma State Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Reese, is hopeful that legal action brought against the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, the State Board of Agriculture, the Governor and several Lawmakers over an appropriation that helps fund the Oklahoma Youth Expo will be concluded early here in 2013. The controversy over this appropriation surfaced in the final days of the 2012 State Legislative session- and litigation was filed in Oklahoma County District Court after the money was approved by the Legislature and the appropriation was made in August 2012 in accordance with guidelines that authorize a public-private partnership between the state and private entities to help farmers and ranchers promote agriculture-related endeavors.
At the time of the appropriation, Governor Mary Fallin expressed her support in response to an inquiry from the Associated Press. "The Oklahoma Youth Expo provides educational and vocational training opportunities to young Oklahomans while promoting agriculture in the state," the Governor's office said in an email to The Associated Press. "The expo supports and compliments the mission of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture; therefore, the Oklahoma Constitution allows the state to contract with that private entity."
This past September, a lawsuit was filed by State Representative Mike Reynolds- a Republican from Oklahoma City and Mike Ritze, a Republican from Broken Arrow. They are claiming the state of Oklahoma has no right to contract with private entities and provide them public monies.
In talking with State Secretary Jim Reese on Wednesday, the farmer from north central Oklahoma expressed confidence to the Oklahoma Farm Report that he has the legal authority to contract with the Oklahoma Youth Expo, that the Legislature properly appropriated the money and that the Youth Expo offers a way to invest into the future of Oklahoma by supporting youth in 4-H and FFA programs in all 77 counties. He calls it a "good investment."
With the 2013 Oklahoma Youth Expo less than two months away, Reese would love to have the litigation put behind the State Board and the State Department of Agriculture. He indicates that mid February could see a possible dismissal of one of the two lawsuits filed by the lawmakers.
You can hear the comments from Jim Reese talking with Ron Hays by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
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