Agricultural News
Farm Bureau Delegates Set Wide Ranging Policy Positions for Grass Roots Group
Sun, 17 Nov 2013 18:03:47 CST
Delegates at the 72nd annual Convention of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau rolled through eighty five proposed resolutions submitted by the group's Resolutions Committee on Saturday morning, wrapping up their work at 11:59 AM. Along the way, only four resolutions offered to the delegate body were rejected- and four others were amended. There were six more resolutions brought to the floor on Saturday afternoon that did not come from the State Resolutions Committee but rather from individual Counties. Only one of them was approved- language that turned out to be a by laws change which will have to be voted on by delegates again next year. The proposed by laws change is to rename the recently renamed Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Committee (now called the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Leadership Team- no mention of Women in the name) with the new name called for by a overwhelmingly majority of the delegates "Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Team."
Pictured here is Jimmy Kinder of Walters- Chairman of the State Resolutions Committee.
Among the policy positions staked out for the grass roots group for the coming year- delegates approved:
Working for less extreme regulations on the state and national level regarding the slaughter of horses.
Being in favor of harsher penalties for vandalism and/or acts of sabotage against agricultural property.
Aggressive expansion of CNG availability statewide.
Support of the Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association.
Support of Soil Health efforts in Oklahoma.
Support for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission as they work to eradicate Eastern Red Cedar.
Opposition by the group against efforts to call animal manure a hazardous substance.
Support for Oklahoma Royalty owners receiving their full value on a timely basis for their share from the proceeds of the sale of oil, , gas, gas liquids, and other hydrocarbons produced on their mineral interest.
Calling on Oil Producers conserving and recycling water used in oil fracking.
Ending the exemption from the gross production tax for horizontal drilling- saying that this technology is no longer new and does not need the tax incentive.
Support for efforts to upgrade state highways, rural bridges and roads in Oklahoma- saying that this should be given high priority.
Support financial incentives to help farmers move to more efficient irrigation technology in the state.
Support for researching the economic and physical feasibility of transferring surface water from excess supply areas to water deficient areas of the state.
Opposition to any federal or state regulations on non-navigable waterways.
Support for landowners to be considered as stakeholders in any decision regarding protection of habitat for the lesser prairie chicken.
Support for Farm Bureau to continue to sell crop insurance.
Commendation for House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas and his staff for their work on the 2013 Farm Bill.
Farm Bureau to encourage elected representatives to do everything they can to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as "ObamaCare.
Four proposed resolutions were defeated- with the first of the four being a call for "stricter guidelines on unemployment benefits and food stamps." One delegate called the resolution "vague and useless" while a second delegate said that this was a issue within the farm bill debate and Farm Bureau should support the efforts of the Ag Committees. The Delegates voted no on this resolution.
They also voted to delete a resolution that stated "We encourage AFBF to lobby for increased funding for crop insurance." It was stated on the floor that another resolution showed support for Crop Insurance and that this resolution was duplicative. The delegates did agree to delete the resolution.
After lengthy debate, the delegates also rejected a measure that would have created a new visionary group designed to give younger members too old for the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee to place to plug into. The resolution stated that the group would be centered around promoting agriculture with a heavy emphasis on utilizing social media. Opponents claimed that these members have ways to plug into Farm Bureau as it is now organized and that a new group within the group was not needed. Delegates agreed with that argument and the reolution was defeated.
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