Oklahoma Farm Bureau Treasurer and District 9 Director Jim Meek was recently elected as vice-chair of the newly formed Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board. A rancher from Okmulgee County, Meek was one of two individuals appointed to the board by Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall. “As a third-generation rancher, Jim Meek will be an effective advocate for making sure the broadband office prioritizes Oklahoma’s unserved and underserved rural areas first,” McCall said. “I’m thrilled he is bringing his experience and the voice of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau to the table for this transformational opportunity for rural Oklahoma.” The Oklahoma Broadband Governing […]

After the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the 2020 and 2021 legislative sessions, lawmakers were back to business as usual in 2022 during the second regular session of the 58th Oklahoma Legislature, running from the first Monday in February to the last Friday in May. With restrictions lifted and long-awaited building renovations complete, the marble floors of the state Capitol played host to a seemingly endless stream of foot traffic from legislators, staff and visitors from around the state. Oklahoma Farm Bureau and its members had a strong presence at 23rd and Lincoln throughout the 2022 legislative session. In addition to the […]

Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry took the state by storm after the passage of State Question 788 in 2018. With more than 8,000 medical marijuana grows in Oklahoma, the industry has had a significant impact on agriculture and rural Oklahoma. Concerns around medical marijuana and the impact it has or will have on Oklahoma’s agriculture industry were on the top of Farm Bureau members’ minds during the 2022 legislative session. From illegal activity to concerns with herbicide spray drift, Farm Bureau members sought clarity on potential liabilities and improved communications with medical marijuana growers around them. Oklahoma Farm Bureau began the […]

State lawmakers wrapped up the bulk of their work last week ending with a rare Friday legislative day. While the majority of the work is now complete, both chambers have signaled that they plan to return to the Capitol on Thursday and Friday to consider any overrides of potential gubernatorial vetoes before adjourning sine die on Friday, May 27. Last week, the budget for fiscal year 2023 was approved by both the House and Senate and now awaits consideration by Gov. Stitt. The 2023 budget included funding for a variety of Oklahoma Farm Bureau interests. Lawmakers allocated just over $10 […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau recently partnered with the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association to send a letter to Congress in opposition of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act and the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act. The letter – sent to United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman – urged the recipients to oppose and prevent further action on both measures. OKFB and OCA support portions of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, but do not support the legislation in its entirety. In […]

The pace at the state Capitol was significantly slower this week compared to the hustle and bustle of the previous week. According to the state Constitution, the legislative session must end no later than Friday, May 27; however, early chatter indicates both chambers are aiming to finish sooner in hopes of jumping on the campaign trail before the June 28 primary election. In addition to the usual budget negotiations, this period of session consists of the two chambers hammering out final negotiations and agreements on bills that have been amended multiple times throughout the legislative process. Several bills related to […]

The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta on Wednesday, April 27. Earlier this year, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation submitted an amicus curiae – or “friend of the court” – brief alongside the Environmental Federation of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma in support of the state of Oklahoma’s position. Castro-Huerta stems from the 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, where the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction to prosecute Jimcy McGirt, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, for a […]

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation recently joined 20 other state Farm Bureaus to file an amicus curiae – or “friend of the court” – brief in support of the petitioner in the Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency United States Supreme Court case review. Background Now spanning more than a decade, Sackett v. EPA focuses on federal jurisdiction of wetlands under the 1972 Clean Water Act. The case began with a dispute over a piece of the Sackett family’s land in Idaho that was filled and leveled for home construction. Soon after filling the land, the Sackett family received word […]

Last week marked the last major policy deadline ahead of the final legislative deadline on May 27 when the legislature must adjourn for the 2022 session. HB 4413 by Rep. Dick Lowe and Sen. John Michael Montgomery passed the Senate this week with the title stricken. This bill would remove third-party assessors from disputed ad valorem assessment litigation and negotiations while still allowing them to be utilized to make the initial assessment. HB 4413 seeks to mitigate issues surrounding increasing and prolonged assessment disputes that have handicapped school districts across the state that rely on ad valorem revenue. While HB […]