Agricultural News
'Right to Farm' Tops Legislative Victories for Oklahoma Farm Bureau
Fri, 05 Jun 2015 17:02:26 CDT
The 2015 Legislative session was fairly calm for the state's largest farm organization. The biggest victory out of the legislative session was the passing of the 'Right to Farm' amendment. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Director of National Affairs LeeAnna McNally said it was about three years ago when Oklahoma Farm Bureau members expressed their support for a bill that would make farming and ranching a constitutional right. Several years ago, a similar piece of legislation was signed into law that has made hunting and fishing a constitutional right. The 'Right to Farm' initiative was introduced by Representative Scott Biggs and State Senator Jason Smalley. McNally said the legislation passed overwhelmingly with support by the House and Senate.
"Really, the base of this is really about consumer choice and farmers and ranchers being able to produce a safe and affordable food supply into the future." McNally said. "-All types of farmers and ranchers should be able to produce safe and affordable food supply with a variety of products, whatever they want to grow."
The 'Right to Farm' amendment will be voted on by Oklahomans in November 2016. She said it has already received great constituent support from rural areas as well as some of the urban areas too. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation has launched a campaign to educate Oklahomans about the amendment. They will be hosting and speaking at numerous meeting across the state explaining what 'Right to Farm' does and why Oklahoma Farm Bureau believes the legislation is needed. November 2016 will also be a Presidential election, so McNally said voter turnout will be need to get 'Right to Farm' adopted.
Radio Oklahoma Network's Farm Director Ron Hays interviewed McNally about the 2015 Legislative session. Click or tap on the LISTENBAR below to listen to the full interview.
During the 2015 legislative session, Oklahoma Farm Bureau's top concern was the state budget. McNally said with a $600 million shortfall, every sector was looking at budget cuts and many were concerned over funding for roads and bridges in rural areas. Other priorities included addressing the state's feral hog population. Feral swine continue to migrate toward western Oklahoma. McNally said feral hogs cause damage to crops and there is concern over the spread of disease from feral hogs to domesticated hogs. She expects a feral hog resolution this fall.
During the legislature, annexation also came to the forefront. McNally said Representative James Leewright and Senator and President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman authored a more comprehensive approach to annexation. With members that own agricultural land near towns, she said they heard concerns from Farm Bureau members over annexation. She said they worked on a bill that provides land owner input, along with input from the public.
Nationally, Oklahoma Farm Bureau continues to follow several topics including the 'Waters of the US' (WOTUS) or sometime referred to as the Clean Water final rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. McNally said they continue to review the over a 200-page administrative rule. She said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has really taken this issue to heart and has pushed the Administration to expand the jurisdiction of the EPA.
"It's really in direct conflict with the Clean Waters Act," McNally said. "The statute really doesn't give the authority to Administrator McCarthy to do, to regulate what she is trying regulate. Of course, it's far over reaching from what the statute does."
Oklahoma Farm Bureau has found EPA made few revisions to the previous rule, but overall they were not substantive revisions. She said they didn't get to the crux of issue in how they are trying to regulate every drop of water that falls out of the sky and anything from pot holes to farm ponds that don't have a tributary. Oklahoma Farm Bureau is glad to see that Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has announced his office will be challenging the EPA over this final rule in keeping this regulation from going into effect in the next 60 days.
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