Altus Times

Jul
31
2016
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Guymon Daily Herald

Aug
09
2016
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Oklahoma
Supreme Court
lets stand Right
to Farm
initiative
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
The Oklahoma Supreme
Court has ruled that the socalled Right to Farm ballot
initiative can remain on the
general election ballot in November.
In a ruling handed down Monday, Justices Douglas Combs
and Yvonne Kauger also said
the time to challenge a ballot
issue should be tighter.
A coalition known as Save
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a lawsuit that challenged
the constitutionality of the
proposal, which calls for a
statewide vote on whether
the right to farm and ranch in
Oklahoma shall be forever
guaranteed.
Opponents allege the measure could allow large farming corporations to set state
agricultural policy instead of
voters and their elected representatives.
In its ruling, the Supreme
Court let stand a decision by
Oklahoma County District
Judge Patricia Parrish in May
to dismiss the lawsuit.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.

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The Hooker Advance

Aug
11
2016
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Rural interests must be protected

By Rep. Casey Murdock
Rural Oklahoma is losing
legislative seats because of population shifts to urban areas but
rural interests still must be protected.
One such interest is farming.
Small family farms in rural areas make up the bulk of farming
operations in Oklahoma. They
put bread, milk, eggs, vegetables and more on our tables.
They do business the way their
families have done business for
generations. Yet, some organizations, such as the Human Society of the United States, want
to add legislation onto the small
farmer that makes it incredibly
hard to maintain this profession
that has been the backbone of
rural society since God planted
a garden in Eden.
Small, rural farmers have a
harder time absorbing new regulations than corporate farms
WKDW KDYH JUHDWHU H[LELOLW\ LQ
adapting.

There are many examples

from around the country of
excessive regulations and the
potential they have to hurt the
Oklahoma farmer.
Take for example the California egg market. An article
in Modern Farmer explains the
problem. For years, the HSUS
has pushed for California egg
farmers to build bigger, kinder
cages for egg-laying hens.
In 2008, California voters
passed a law to meet the requirements. But then, CaliforQLD ODZPDNHUV UHDOL]HG WKH \
in the ointment: the law put
their state egg farmers at a disadvantage. They had to absorb
the prohibitive cost of upgrading all of their facilities while
out-of-state producers werent
burdened by the same regulations, allowing them to sell eggs
in the state at a cheaper price.
In order to keep California
egg farmers in business, the
law was expanded to cover all
eggs sold in the state and later a
federal judge decided producers
from other states had to comply.
So now, egg producers around
The HHS Lady Bulldog softthe country are scrambling to
ball team cracks open the searebuild facilities to supply the
son this Thursday in the Paneggs from 20 million chickens
handle Conference Tournament
that Californians eat each day.
played in Tyrone and Turpin.
The result: a possible egg shortHooker will take to the Turage in California and higher
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prices while other markets face
Lady Cardinals and play the
over saturation and depressed
next game at 5 p.m. against
Boise City

Lady Bulldogs
play Aug. 11

prices. As one person quoted

in this article points out, this
leaves the farmer in a world of
hurt.
This is just one example of
overregulation that has the potential to hurt family farmers.
HSUS has been marching
across the county pushing their
agenda one state at a time. We
have to stop them here in Oklahoma. Agriculture is one of the
main drivers of our economy
and we have to insure that our
farmers and ranchers are allowed to use the practices that
have made them successful for
generations.
The bottom line is this is an
issue of freedom. The government doesnt need to intervene
in our daily lives with excessive regulations. As long as Im
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against this kind of overreach.

Open House set

by PSC in Guymon
Panhandle Services for Children will host an Open House
Party Friday, Sept. 23 from
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot at 4th and Roosevelt in
Guymon.
Ken Stoneciper will provide
the entertainment and there will
be free food, music and a time
to meet and greet. This event is
sponsored by Conoco Phillips.

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.

Aug 2016 Page

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McAlester News-Capital

Foes of SQ 777 change tactics

after court challenge dismissed
By D.E. SMOOTH
CNHI OKLAHOMA

MUSKOGEE Plaintiffs whose

pre-election challenge to the constitutionality of the so-called Right to Farm
Amendment was dismissed as untimely by the Oklahoma Supreme Court
shifted gears to focus on community
outreach and educating the public
about its impact if passed.
State Question 777 would carve out
constitutional protections for citizens
and lawful residents of Oklahoma
engaged in farming and ranching activities. It would prohibit lawmakers
from passing any laws that might infringe upon the rights of that limited
class to employ agricultural technology and livestock production and
ranching practices without a compelling state interest.
Save the Illinois River President
Denise Deason-Toyne said educating
the public is the key to prevent passage of a legislative referendum she
and other critics contend would cripple efforts to protect and preserve the
states natural resources. STIR, a grass-

roots coalition of clean-water advocates was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking the removal of SQ 777
from the general election ballot in
November.
The justices, two of whom were appointed as substitutes for two disqualified jurists, affirmed an Oklahoma
County District Court Judge Patricia
G. Parrishs dismissal of STIRs legal
challenge, but for a different reason.
Parrish found the measure constitutional on its face, a ruling rejected by
the high court in favor of an argument
based upon a separation of powers.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ...
basically stated it will not inject itself
into the legislative process by deciding
the validity of legislation before it is
enacted, Deason-Toyne said. This ... is
not a decision on the merits of our
claims it just is basically stating that
our challenge shouldnt be heard unless and until SQ 777 becomes law.
STIRs challenge, which was joined
by a state lawmaker, a family farmer
and a property owner who co-founded
the Tahlequah-based coalition, laid out
four arguments upon which they be-

lieve SQ 777 is unconstitutional. They

said the legislative referendum would
unconstitutionally bind, or hamstring,
future Legislatures, addresses more
than one subject, violates separation
of powers, and is unconstitutionally
vague.
Supreme Court justices made it
clear the issues raised in STIRs challenge remain unadjudicated and intact. The opinion left the door open
for additional challenges that might
be brought under the federal or state
constitutions by a proper party if voters approve the controversial measure.
SQ 777 proponents, which include
corporate agricultural interests, contend the constitutional protections
sought are needed to protect the interests of farmers and ranchers believed
to be under attack by animal rights
and environmental activists. They also
have put forth an argument that passage would ensure an affordable food
supply.
Opponents argue the measure
would allow corporate interests to engage unimpeded in activities and employ technology that would harm the

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.

environment and consumers. Requiring lawmakers to prove future laws

dealing with agricultural activities are
narrowly tailored to further a compelling state interest, critics say would
make it nearly impossible to regulate
the agricultural industry and its practices.
Deason-Toyne pointed out the ironies of the courts decision to allow SQ
777 to remain on the general election
ballot. While the ruling gives voters a
voice in the decision to approve or reject the measure, she said its passage
ultimately would rob them of that
voice.
If SQ 777 becomes law, people will
lose that voice when it comes to regulating farming (and) ranching agricultural practices, Deason-Toyne said. It
will be entirely up to the courts to decide whether there is a compelling
state interest which would justify state
regulations we will lose our voice.
SQ 777 is scheduled to be presented
Nov. 8 to voters along with several
other ballot measures and candidates
competing for federal, state and local
offices.

Morris News

Aug
11
2016
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Aug 2016 Page

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Tulsa Beacon

Life chief says Sen. Kaine is pro abortion

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