The governor’s veto of the anti-trespassing “purple paint bill” Tuesday is described as a victory “for lawbreakers over landowners” by the state’s largest farm organization.
“Governor Henry’s veto of Senate Bill 430 aids and abets those lawbreakers who trespass on private property,” said Jeramy Rich, Director of Public Policy for Oklahoma Farm Bureau. “He clearly chose to protect lawbreakers and to ignore the wishes of landowners.”
The purple paint bill sailed through the House easily and passed the Senate. It would have allowed landowners to use purple paint on fence posts or trees in lieu of “no trespassing” signs.
The governor insinuated the measure – which parallels widely accepted, long-standing laws in all adjoining states – could cause confusion in Oklahoma because many citizens might “not have understood the significance of purple paint.”
“Governor Henry’s concern that some people wouldn’t understand the significance of purple paint is heavily influenced by trial lawyers bent on protecting coon hunters caught trespassing on private property,” declared Rich.
The measure would have provided an 18-month transition period for landowners to use purple paint as well as no trespassing signs, giving hunters adequate time to recognize and understand why posts are painted purple.
Current Oklahoma law requires private property to be posted, otherwise trespassers are free to roam, Rich said.
“It should make sense that if you are on land that is not yours, without written permission, than you are trespassing, ” Rich said. “We have a constitutional right to protect our land, but obviously the Governor disagrees.”
Farm Bureau voting delegates, representing the 160,000 member families of the organization, have called for enactment of a “purple paint” law for more than 10 years. SB 430 is the first time such legislation has made it’s way through the state legislature.
“The recreational value of property today is, in many cases, the greatest value of the land,” said Rich. “The governor’s veto of SB 430 allows that value to be stolen every day by illegal trespassers.”
