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Oklahoma Agri-Women announces

support for State Question 777
Oklahoma AgriWomen has officially
announced its support
for State Question 777,
Oklahomas Right to
Farm, a proposed amendment to the Oklahoma
Constitution that will
protect farming and
ranching practices for
farmers large and small
across Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Agri-Women is a state affiliate of
American Agri-Women,
which is the nations
largest coalition of farm,
ranch and agribusiness
women with more than
50 state, commodity and
agribusiness affiliate
organizations throughout
the country.
Our members are
college students, wives,
mothers, consumers
and agricultural producers, said Kristi Bishop,
Oklahoma Agri-Women
president. We recognize
the importance of passing SQ 777 to protect
farmers, ranchers and

consumers in our state.

Passing SQ 777 will
ensure that farmers and
ranchers in Oklahoma
can continue to provide
safe, healthy and affordable food choices for all
Oklahomans.
The mission of Oklahoma Agri-Women
is three-fold; to unite
women in all segments of
the Oklahoma food, fiber
and agriculture industry

having mutual concerns;

to keep Oklahoma
Agri-Women members
informed of legislation
that is of concern to
Oklahomas agriculture
industry while remaining
nonpartisan; and to educate consumers, elected
officials and the general
public about the importance of agriculture to
Oklahomas economy
and environment.

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Muskogee Phoenix

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Beware ripple effects

of state questions

K-12 funding by at
least $830 million annually. Its notable that
poised to become the
passes, Oklahoma will
The elevator pitch
latest group to formally have the nations high- leaders of the Univerversion of two state
oppose passage of both est state-local sales tax sity of Oklahoma and
questions likely to
state questions.
rate. Thats astounding Oklahoma State University opposed that
go before Oklahoma
In doing so, Edmond when you realize even
plan because it could
voters this fall sounds
ofcials will join the
states with no income
have indirectly reduced
appealing. But the
Oklahoma Municipal
tax would also have
funding for colleges.
potential unintended
League, the Municipal lower sales taxes than
Today, city and counconsequences of both
Electric Systems of
Oklahoma.
measures are leading a Oklahoma, the City
Once Oklahoma hits ty governments are
growing list of commu- Managers Association
that point, city ofcials voicing comparable
nity leaders to oppose
of Oklahoma and the
fear local sales tax ini- concerns about SQ 779.
Similar issues are
them.
Municipal Clerks,
tiatives will be much
being raised about
State Question 779
Treasurers & Finance
harder to pass, as will
the Right to Farm
would add another per- Ofcers Association in
extensions of existing
amendments unincentage point to Oklaopposing the sales tax
local sales tax rates.
tended consequences.
homa state sales tax
increase.
In short, things like
City ofcials worry the
rate, increasing it by 22
Why? Because the
Oklahomas MAPS
constitutional amendpercent. The revenue
ripple effects of that
improvements could
generated would go to
measures passage
quickly become a thing ment is so broadly
a wide range of broadly could have severe conof the past. Even basic worded it could allow
dened education caus- sequences that impede infrastructure projects owners of large pares, although teacher
cels of land within city
civic progress across
may become harder to
pay alone is highlightlimits to evade local
Oklahoma.
nance.
ed by many supporters.
regulation by proclaimOklahoma is the only
SQ 779 supporters
State Question 777,
ing it agriculture
state where towns, cit- claim it is a compreknown as Right to
land. They also worry
ies and municipalities
hensive plan. Yet the
Farm, would amend
the measure could
rely almost entirely on only thing compreOklahomas constiinadvertently impede
local sales tax revenue hensive about it is
tution to declare the
municipalities ability
to nance services
that it throws money
Legislature cannot
to obtain ample water
including police, re,
in all directions. Only
abridge citizens rights parks and street main- around $245 million
supplies at reasonable
to employ agricultenance. Oklahoma
of $615 million generprices.
Citys renaissance,
ated annually would
tural technology and
The aforementioned
started with the MAPS go to teacher pay. The
livestock production
are all valid questions
rest would be divided
and ranching practices improvements, relied
that deserve serious
on a local sales tax
among a host of K-12
without a compelling
scrutiny. Come Noincrease approved by
programs, state colstate interest.
vember, voters should
leges, CareerTech and
Education and farm- voters.
rely on more than
But the average com- early childhood educa- bumper-sticker slogans
ing are popular causes
bined state-local sales
tion.
in Oklahoma, yet both
to decide how to vote
tax rate in Oklahoma
In 2010 another mea- on these state quesmeasures are drawing
is already 8.77 persure, State Question
opposition from untions.
cent, the sixth-highest
744, went before voters.
usual quarters. City
The Oklahoman
It called for increasing
ofcials in Edmond are nationally. If SQ 779
July 17

AROUND THE STATE

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

The Times

Jul
26
2016
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Nebraska farmers announce they do not

need, will not seek
so-called right to farm constitutional
amendment like Oklahoma
A coalition of Nebraska
agricultural
groups
has
announced it will no longer
pursue a constitutional right
to farm proposal in that state.
Oklahoma voters will decide a
similar issue here in November
with State Question 777.
We are united in our belief
that protecting our members
interests and the future of agriculture isnt about a single ballot measure or initiative, Steve
Nelson,
Nebraska
Farm
Bureau president, said in a
news release. He added that
his organization would be
working to ensure high property tax burdens arent the reason families are pushed out of
agriculture.
Farmer Paul Muegge, a former state senator and co-chair
of the Oklahoma Stewardship
Council,
applauded
the
Nebraska Farm Bureau for its
decision to work in the interests of its members who are
family farmers, rather than

carry water for the corporate

interests who want state questions like 777 to pass in agriculture-producing states.
SQ 777 takes away the
power of the legislature and
municipal governments to regulate agricultural practices to
protect water and other natural
resources and individuals
property rights, Muegge said.
In this world of industrial agriculture, it is large corporations
who will benefit from the
unprecedented blank check
that SQ 777 gives them, not
generational farmers who have
always protected water, land
and livestock. I can understand why the corporations
want to be free from scrutiny
and regulation, but I cannot
understand why Oklahoma
should let them. Voters should
not be fooled by this proposal.
Numerous
organizations
and individuals, including
many farmers, are standing
together to defeat State

Question 777. Those opposing

the proposal include Save the
Illinois River, Inter-Tribal
Council of the Five Civilized
Tribes, Oklahoma Municipal
League, League of Women
Voters, Edmond City Council,
Conservation Coalition of
Oklahoma, Humane Society of
the United States, Humane
Society Legislative Fund, Bella
Foundation, Oklahomans for
Food, Farm and Family,
Oklahoma Food Cooperative,
Sierra Club, Oklahoma Welfare
League, Oklahoma Alliance for
Animals
and
Oklahoma
Coalition of Animal Rescuers.
The Oklahoma Stewardship
Council is a coalition of family
farmers, community leaders
and concerned citizens opposing State Question 777. For
more information about the
OSC,
visit
www.votenoon777.com.

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

The Ardmoreite

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

Enid News & Eagle

Protecting
right to
change laws
By Journal Record

Jul
27
2016
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d
s

g
&
s.
5.

Oklahoma is home
to 78,000 farming operations that cover 34.2
million acres, more
than three-fourths of the
total area. Those farms
produce more than $7.1
billion of products each
year, more than $5.2 billion of that in livestock
and poultry, making
Oklahoma the 11th-largest livestock producing
state and 23rd-largest
ag-producing state.
Most farmers will
support State Question
777 in November. The
measure would add a new
section to Article II of the
Oklahoma Constitution. It
would be four sentences
long.
The first sentence says
the intent is to protect
farmers and ranchers and
ensure that they can keep
farming and ranching forever. The third and fourth
sentences talk about what
the amendment does not
do: modify laws relating to trespass, eminent
domain, the dominance
of mineral rights, and
so forth. There is little
in those three sentences
with which one might
take issue.
The devil is the second sentence, which
reads: The Legislature
shall pass no law which
abridges the right of citizens and lawful residents
of Oklahoma to employ
agricultural technology
and livestock production
and ranching practices
without a compelling
state interest.
According to MerriamWebsters Dictionary of
Law, a compelling state
interest is, a governmental interest (as in educating children or protecting
the public) which is so
important that it outweighs individual rights.
A compelling state
interest is an extraordinarily high standard to
meet that requires the
strict scrutiny test. If the
state were to adopt a law
regulating agriculture
and it was challenged,
the state would have to
prove that the policy was
necessary and narrowly
tailored to accomplish
the specific task. Its the
same standard that was
applied in Roe v. Wade
when the court found a
persons privacy rights
could not be quashed by
laws outlawing abortions.
The law was not written by local farmers;
ALEC, the American
Legislative Exchange
Council, approved the
model legislation in 1996
and again in 2013.
The state has a model;
the Legislature can add,
subtract and update laws
as the world changes. In
1776, no one imagined
a need for laws governing self-driving cars,
but the public certainly
can imagine the value
of those today. No one
knows how the agriculture industry will grow
and change in Oklahoma,
but the public representatives at the Capitol must
be allowed to help the
law adapt to whatever
might surface.
We must not cede governance of an industry to
the industry. Voters must
defeat State Question 777
in November.

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

Jul 2016 Page

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The Hinton Record

Oklahoma Agri-Women Announces

Support for State Question 777
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Agri-Women has
officially announced its support for State Question 777,
Oklahomas Right to Farm, a
proposed amendment to the
Oklahoma Constitution that
will protect farming and
ranching practices for farmers large and small across
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Agri-Women is
a state affiliate of American
Agri-Women, which is the

nations largest coalition of

farm, ranch and agribusiness
women with more than 50
state,
commodity
and
agribusiness affiliate organizations throughout the country.
Our members are college
students, wives, mothers,
consumers and agricultural
producers, said Kristi
Bishop, Oklahoma AgriWomen president. We recognize the importance of

passing SQ 777 to protect

farmers, ranchers and consumers in our state. Passing
SQ 777 will ensure that
farmers and ranchers in
Oklahoma can continue to
provide safe, healthy and
affordable food choices for
all Oklahomans.
The mission of Oklahoma
Agri-Women is three-fold;
to unite women in all segments of the Oklahoma food,
fiber and agriculture industry

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

having mutual concerns; to

keep
Oklahoma
AgriWomen members informed
of legislation that is of concern to Oklahomas agriculture industry while remaining nonpartisan; and to educate consumers, elected officials and the general public
about the importance of agriculture to Oklahomas economy and environment.

Jul 2016 Page

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Minco-Union City Times

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

Muskogee Phoenix

Jul
27
2016

Boren proposal heads

to ballot Good!

Page
A007

The last substantial

hurdle in the way of
David Borens proposed
1 percent sales tax increase has been cleared.
On Monday, the
Oklahoma Supreme
Court threw out a legal
challenge against State
Question 779 because
it was not led at the
appropriate time.
That appears to clear
the way for the issue to
go to Novembers ballot.
Good.
More than 301,000
Oklahoma voters
signed Borens petition
to raise taxes in support
of education. With that
kind of popular support,
it would have been a
travesty for the high
court to prevent a vote.
The challenge was
thrown out on technical grounds, but in
our view the challenge
was made on technical grounds: whether
the petitions gist a
description of the measure that appears on
signature sheets was
properly worded. There
was a time and a place
to raise such an issue,
and the opponents
missed it. This late in
the game, it should not
have been allowed to
block the progress of
popular sovereignty,
and it wasnt.
At the same time, the

Clip
resized
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rights.
A compelling state
777 in November. The
interest is an extraormeasure would add a
dinarily high standard
new section to Article II to meet that requires
of the Oklahoma Conthe strict scrutiny test.
stitution. It would be
If the state were to
four sentences long.
adopt a law regulating
The rst sentence
agriculture and it was
says the intent is to
challenged, the state
protect farmers and
would have to prove
ranchers and ensure
that the policy was
that they can keep
necessary and narrowly
farming and ranchtailored to accomplish
ing forever. The third
the specic task. Its the
and fourth sentences
same standard that was
talk about what the
applied in Roe v. Wade
amendment does not
when the court found a
do: modify laws relating persons privacy rights
to trespass, eminent
could not be quashed
domain, the dominance by laws outlawing aborof mineral rights, and
tions.
so forth. There is little
The law was not writin those three sentences ten by local farmers;
with which one might
ALEC, the American
take issue.
Legislative Exchange
The devil is the secCouncil, approved the
ond sentence, which
model legislation in
reads: The Legislature 1996 and again in 2013.
shall pass no law which
The state has a modabridges the right of
el; the Legislature can
citizens and lawful
add, subtract and upresidents of Oklahoma
date laws as the world
to employ agricultural
changes. ... No one
technology and liveknows how the agriculstock production and
ture industry will grow
ranching practices
and change in Oklawithout a compelling
homa, but the public
state interest.
representatives at the
According to MerriCapitol must be allowed
am-Websters Dictioto help the law adapt to
nary of Law, a compelwhatever might surface.
ling state interest is, a
We must not cede
governmental interest
governance of an in(as in educating childustry to the industry.
dren or protecting
Voters must defeat
the public) which is
State Question 777 in
so important that it
November.
outweighs individual
Journal Record

AROUND THE STATE

high court rewrote the
ballot title for SQ 779
to make it clearer that
the Legislature wont
be able to shufe appropriations ingeniously
so that a tax increase
for education becomes a
general tax increase.
Thats also good. The
new ballot language is
more informative and
clearly describes how
the process of supplanting is prevented.
There are strong arguments on both sides
of SQ 779, and we look
forward to a substantial
public debate on its
merits. Were glad the
Boren proposal seems
headed to the ballot.
Tulsa World
July 22

Protecting right
to change laws
Oklahoma is home to
78,000 farming operations that cover 34.2
million acres, more
than three-fourths of
the total area. Those
farms produce more
than $7.1 billion of
products each year,
more than $5.2 billion
of that in livestock and
poultry, making Oklahoma the 11th-largest
livestock producing
state and 23rd-largest
ag-producing state.
Most farmers will
support State Question

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

Seminole Producer

Jul
27
2016
Page
A001
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Agri-Women
Support State
Question 777
Oklahoma Agri-Women
has officially announced
its support for State Question 777, Oklahomas
Right to Farm, a proposed
amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that will
protect farming and ranching practices for farmers
large and small across
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Agri-Women
is a state affiliate of American Agri-Women, which is
the nations largest coalition of farm, ranch and
agribusiness women with
more than 50 state, commodity and agribusiness
affiliate
organizations
throughout the country.
Our members are
college students, wives,
(See Support on Page A8)
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.

Seminole Producer

other methods, he said.

Support

Jul
27
2016
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From
A001

(Continued from Page 1)

mothers, consumers and
agricultural producers, said
Kristi Bishop, Oklahoma
Agri-Women president. We
recognize the importance
of passing SQ 777 to protect farmers, ranchers and
consumers in our state.
Passing SQ 777 will ensure
that farmers and ranchers
in Oklahoma can continue
to provide safe, healthy and
affordable food choices for
all Oklahomans.
The mission of Oklahoma
Agri-Women is three-fold;
to unite women in all segments of the Oklahoma food,
fiber and agriculture industry
having mutual concerns; to
keep Oklahoma Agri-Women
members informed of legislation that is of concern
to Oklahomas agriculture
industry while remaining
nonpartisan; and to educate
consumers, elected officials
and the general public about
the importance of agriculture
to Oklahomas economy and
environment.
About Oklahoma AgriWomen
Oklahoma
Agri-Women
unites womens agricultural
organizations and individuals to communicate with one
another and with other consumers to promote agriculture. It is a state affiliate of
American Agri-Women, the
nations largest coalition of
farm, ranch and agribusiness
women.

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

The Apache News

S
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28
2016
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McIntosh County Democrat

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

The Norman Transcript

T
Protecting right
P
to change laws
A RO UND TH E STAT E : FA R M I N G

Jul
28
2016
Page
A004
Clip
resized
57%

Oklahoma is home to
78,000 farming operations
that cover 34.2 million
acres, more than threefourths of the total area.
Those farms produce more
than $7.1 billion of products each year, more than
$5.2 billion of that in livestock and poultry, making
Oklahoma the 11th-largest
livestock producing state
and 23rd-largest ag-producing state.
Most farmers will support State Question 777 in
November. The measure
would add a new section
to Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution. It would
be four sentences long.
The rst sentence says
the intent is to protect
farmers and ranchers and
ensure that they can keep
farming and ranching forever. The third and fourth
sentences talk about what
the amendment does not
do: modify laws relating to
trespass, eminent domain,
the dominance of mineral
rights, and so forth. There
is little in those three
sentences with which one
might take issue.
The devil is the second
sentence, which reads:
The Legislature shall pass
no law which abridges the
right of citizens and lawful
residents of Oklahoma
to employ agricultural
technology and livestock
production and ranching
practices without a compelling state interest.
According to MerriamWebsters Dictionary of
Law, a compelling state
interest is, a governmental interest (as in educating

children or protecting the

public) which is so important that it outweighs
individual rights.
A compelling state interest is an extraordinarily
high standard to meet that
requires the strict scrutiny test. If the state were
to adopt a law regulating
agriculture and it was
challenged, the state would
have to prove that the
policy was necessary and
narrowly tailored to accomplish the specic task.
Its the same standard that
was applied in Roe v. Wade
when the court found a
persons privacy rights
could not be quashed by
laws outlawing abortions.
The law was not written
by local farmers; ALEC,
the American Legislative
Exchange Council, approved the model legislation in 1996 and again in
2013.
The state has a model;
the Legislature can add,
subtract and update laws
as the world changes. In
1776, no one imagined
a need for laws governing self-driving cars, but
the public certainly can
imagine the value of those
today. No one knows how
the agriculture industry
will grow and change in
Oklahoma, but the public
representatives at the
Capitol must be allowed
to help the law adapt to
whatever might surface.
We must not cede governance of an industry to
the industry. Voters must
defeat State Question 777
in November.
The Journal Record

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

Poteau Daily News

Jul
29
2016
Page
0004
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Editorial Round-up
Protecting right to
change laws
Editorial excerpt from The Journal Record
July 25, 2016
Oklahoma is home to 78,000 farming operations that
cover 34.2 million acres, more than three-fourths of the
total area. Those farms produce more than $7.1 billion of
products each year, more than $5.2 billion of that in livestock and poultry, making Oklahoma the 11th-largest
livestock producing state and 23rd-largest ag-producing
state.
Most farmers will support State Question 777 in
November. The measure would add a new section to
Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution. It would be four
sentences long.
The first sentence says the intent is to protect farmers
and ranchers and ensure that they can keep farming and
ranching forever. The third and fourth sentences talk
about what the amendment does not do: modify laws
relating to trespass, eminent domain, the dominance of
mineral rights and so forth. There is little in those three
sentences with which one might take issue.
The devil is the second sentence, which reads: The
Legislature shall pass no law which abridges the right of
citizens and lawful residents of Oklahoma to employ
agricultural technology and livestock production and
ranching practices without a compelling state interest.
According to Merriam-Websters Dictionary of Law, a
compelling state interest is, a governmental interest (as
in educating children or protecting the public) which is so
important that it outweighs individual rights.
A compelling state interest is an extraordinarily high
standard to meet that requires the strict scrutiny test. If the
state were to adopt a law regulating agriculture and it was
challenged, the state would have to prove that the policy
was necessary and narrowly tailored to accomplish the
specific task. Its the same standard that was applied in
Roe v. Wade when the court found a persons privacy
rights could not be quashed by laws outlawing abortions.
The law was not written by local farmers; ALEC, the
American Legislative Exchange Council, approved the
model legislation in 1996 and again in 2013.
The state has a model; the Legislature can add, subtract
and update laws as the world changes. In 1776, no one
imagined a need for laws governing self-driving cars, but
the public certainly can imagine the value of those today.
No one knows how the agriculture industry will grow and
change in Oklahoma, but the public representatives at the
Capitol must be allowed to help the law adapt to whatever might surface.
We must not cede governance of an industry to the
industry. Voters must defeat State Question 777 in
November.
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.

The Shawnee News-Star

EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Jul
29
2016
Page
A006
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resized
30%

Boren tax proposal appears

headed to the ballot Good!
Tulsa World, July 22, 2016
The last substantial hurdle in the
ZD\RI'DYLG%RUHQVSURSRVHG
percent sales tax increase has been
cleared.
2Q0RQGD\WKH2NODKRPD
Supreme Court threw out a legal
challenge against State Question
EHFDXVHLWZDVQRWOHGDWWKH
appropriate time.
That appears to clear the way for
the issue to go to Novembers ballot.
Good.
0RUHWKDQ2NODKRPD
YRWHUVVLJQHG%RUHQVSHWLWLRQWR
raise taxes in support of education.
With that kind of popular support,
it would have been a travesty for the
high court to prevent a vote.
The challenge was thrown out on
technical grounds, but in our view
the challenge was made on technical
grounds: whether the petitions
gist a description of the measure
that appears on signature sheets
was properly worded. There was
a time and a place to raise such an
issue, and the opponents missed
it. This late in the game, it should
not have been allowed to block the
progress of popular sovereignty, and
it wasnt.
At the same time, the high court
rewrote the ballot title for SQ 779 to
make it clearer that the Legislature
ZRQWEHDEOHWRVKXIHDSSURSULations ingeniously so that a tax
increase for education becomes a
general tax increase.
Thats also good. The new ballot
language is more informative and
clearly describes how the process of
supplanting is prevented.
There are strong arguments on
both sides of SQ 779, and we look
forward to a substantial public
debate on its merits. Were glad the
%RUHQSURSRVDOVHems headed to the
ballot.
___
Protecting right to change
laws
The Journal Record, July 25,
2016
2NODKRPDLVKRPHWR
IDUPLQJRSHUDWLRQVWKDWFRYHU
million acres, more than threefourths of the total area. Those
IDUPVSURGXFHPRUHWKDQ
billion of products each year, more
WKDQELOOLRQRIWKDWLQOLYHVWRFN
DQGSRXOWU\PDNLQJ2NODKRPDWKH
WKODUJHVWOLYHVWRFNSURGXFLQJ
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state.
0RVWIDUPHUVZLOOVXSSRUW6WDWH
Question 777 in November. The
measure would add a new section
WR$UWLFOH,,RIWKH2NODKRPD&RQstitution. It would be four sentences
long.
7KHUVWVHQWHQFHVD\VWKHLQWHQW
is to protect farmers and ranchers
and ensure that they can keep farming and ranching forever. The third
and fourth sentences talk about
what the amendment does not do:
modify laws relating to trespass,
eminent domain, the dominance of
mineral rights, and so forth. There
is little in those three sentences with
which one might take issue.
The devil is the second sentence,
which reads: The Legislature shall
pass no law which abridges the right
of citizens and lawful residents of
2NODKRPDWRHPSOR\DJULFXOWXUDO
technology and livestock production
and ranching practices without a
compelling state interest.
$FFRUGLQJWR0HUULDP:HEVWHUV
Dictionary of Law, a compelling
state interest is, a governmental
interest (as in educating children or
protecting the public) which is so
important that it outweighs individual rights.
A compelling state interest is an
extraordinarily high standard to
meet that requires the strict scrutiny
test. If the state were to adopt a
law regulating agriculture and it
was challenged, the state would
have to prove that the policy was
necessary and narrowly tailored to
accomplisKWKHVSHFLFWDVN,WVWKH
same standard that was applied in
Roe v. Wade when the court found
a persons privacy rights could
not be quashed by laws outlawing
abortions.
The law was not written by local
farmers; ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, approved
WKHPRGHOOHJLVODWLRQLQDQG
DJDLQLQ
The state has a model; the Legislature can add, subtract and update
ODZVDVWKHZRUOGFKDQJHV,Q
no one imagined a need for laws
governing self-driving cars, but the
public certainly can imagine the
value of those today. No one knows
how the agriculture industry will
JURZDQGFKDQJHLQ2NODKRPDEXW
the public representatives at the
Capitol must be allowed to help
the law adapt to whatever might
surface.
We must not cede governance of
an industry to the industry. Voters
must defeat State Question 777 in
November.

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

Woodward News

Jul
29
2016
Page
A003
Clip
resized
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Right to Farm draws support, opponents

By Sarah Nishimuta
Staff Writer

Just
as
the
Presidential candidates
are making arguments
for
their
policies,
Oklahoma organizations
are working to have both
pros and cons heard for
State Question 777
"Right to Farm."
SQ 777 will be up to
vote on the general election ballot Nov. 8.
The much debated
state question would add
a new amendment to the
Oklahoma
State
Constitution.
According to former
attorney general of
Oklahoma,
Drew
Edmondson, SQ 777
would amend Article II
of the State Constitution,
adding a new right, "The
Legislature shall pass no
law which abridges the
right of citizens and lawful
residents
of
Oklahoma to employ
agricultural technology
and livestock production
and ranching practices
without a compelling
state interest."
Recently, Oklahoma
Agri-Women announced
their support of SQ 777.
Oklahoma
AgriWomen are a state-level
branch of the national
group, American AgriWomen and, according
to their news release, are
the "nation's largest
coalition of farm, ranch
and agribusiness women

with more than 50 state,

commodity and agribusiness affiliate organizations throughout the
country."
The Oklahoma AgriWomen group have
endorsed SQ 777 saying,
"We recognize the
importance of passing
SQ 777 to protect farmers, ranchers and consumers in our state,"
according to Oklahoma
Agri-Women President,
Kristi Bishop.
"Passing SQ 777 will
ensure that farmers and
ranchers in Oklahoma
can continue to provide
safe, healthy and affordable food choices for all
Oklahomans,"
she
added.
Bishop went on to say
that this measure would
protect farmers and
ranchers from overregulation and allow them to
continue their practices
for many generations.
While SQ 777 sounds
like a good idea on the
surface, Edmondson is
heading a group working
to defeat the measure.
"On the ballot this

November is a measure
that is not needed, is
poorly written, and carries in its wording the
potential for creating
great harm," argues
Edmondson.
"State
Question 777, the socalled "Right to Farm"
measure, might better be
labeled 666, the "Right
to Harm."
Opponents of SQ 777
believe that this measure
will cause more harm
than good.
If the measure passes,
any future regulations
for farmers or ranchers,
good or bad, would be
deemed unconstitutional
allowing large farming
cooperations to go
unchecked.
The
right-to-farm
would make it easier for
farmers
to
pollute
according to Denise
Deason-Toyne, president
of the water advocacy
group Save the Illinois
River.
Deason-Toyne says
that SQ 777 is far too
vague and would leave it
up to the courts to decide
what's in the state's com-

pelling interest.
Passing SQ 777
would essentially keep
Oklahoman legislature
from passing any agricultural
regulations,
meaning the only regulations that would apply to
Oklahoman farmers and
ranchers will come from
federal agencies such as
the
Environmental
Protection
Agency,
United
States
Department
of
Agriculture, and the
Food
and
Drug
Administration.
Allowing only these
federal agencies to make
the rules and regulations
for farmers and ranchers
could promote overregulation, according to the
opposition of SQ 777.
Advocates on both
sides of SQ 777 highly
encourage voters to educate themselves in depth
on the matter.

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

The Oklahoman

[MICHAEL RAMIREZ/CREATORS.COM]

POINT OF VIEW | DOOMSAYERS WERE WRONG

Jul
30
2016
Page
A011
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California egg prices

and State Question 777
rose dramatically throughout the country
that year, largely because of the unprecIf approved by voters in November, edented devastation to poultry flocks
State Question 777 would fundamentally caused by a severe outbreak of avian flu. In
alter the way Oklahoma governs agricul- September 2015, the nationwide average
ture. One of the key questions raised in consumer price for a dozen eggs hit $2.97
the debate over this controversial amend- the highest in a quarter century. The
ment to the state constitution is about the rise in California egg prices was in step
price of food. Supporters of SQ 777 argue with this national trend.
the amendment is needed because proSince then, the egg industry has recovanimal regulations on agriculture lead to ered from the flu outbreak, and egg prices
higher costs for products like
have fallen. The most recent
eggs. Is that true?
nationwide average consumer
The primary evidence
price recorded by the U.S. govoffered to support this claim
ernment was $1.49 a dozen.
is Proposition 2, a ballot meaIn California a full yearsure passed by California
and-a-half after the implevoters in 2008. Prop 2 manmentation of Prop 2 the
dated that all farm animals
prices have also come down.
be provided enough living
According to a May 4, 2016,
space to lie down, stand up,
report by Capital Press, an
fully extend their limbs and Brian Ted Jones
agricultural news source servturn around freely. The larging the Western states, Egg
est contributor to the campaign opposed prices are now on a par with what they
to Prop 2 was Cal-Maine Foods, the larg- were in November 2008 when voters
est producer of shell eggs in the United passed Proposition 2.
States. The chief argument raised against
Prop 2 was the most far-reaching aniProp 2 related to the laws potential effect mal well-being law ever enacted by an
on the egg industry. That argument was American state. It was the motivation for
simple: If Prop 2 passes, egg supplies will the entire Right to Farm movement.
go down, and egg prices will go up.
That movement has consistently claimed
Prop 2 passed in California with 63.5 that Prop 2 would lead to higher egg prices.
percent of the vote in November 2008.
It hasnt.
The law went into effect in January 2015.
And indeed, the price of eggs in Califor- Jones is a lawyer and director of education for Kirkpatrick
Foundation.
nia rose dramatically. But the price of eggs

BY BRIAN TED JONES

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

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Aug 2016 Page

01
A001

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The Oklahoman

Poll shows support for education

tax, sentencing reform initiatives
BY BEN FELDER
Staff Writer
bfelder@oklahoman.com

State questions aimed at increasing

education funding and decreasing incarceration rates have strong support headed
into the final few months before the
November election, according to recent
polls.
In cooperation with The Oklahoman,
SoonerPoll found 62 percent of likely voters support State Question 779, which

asks voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax

increase for common and higher education, including pay raises for public school
teachers.
That may surprise some people, but it
shouldnt because we have seen in polling
for some time that people want teachers
to make more money, so its not too surprising that (SQ 779) has support, said
Bill Shapard, CEO of SoonerPoll. I think
people see this as a need that has gone
long overlooked by the Legislature, and
I think this state question is basically the

people saying If you arent going to do

something about it, we will.
The poll was conducted last week
among nearly 400 likely voters with a
sampling designed to mirror the probable
November electorate.
Strong support also was found for two
potential state questions seeking to reform
criminal sentencing, including SQ 780,
which reduces sentencing requirements
for certain drug and property offenses.
Seventy-five percent of respondents said
they supported the initiative.

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

The unique thing about State Question 780 and State Question 781 is the
diversity in widespread support behind
these initiatives, said Kris Steele, chairman of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice
Reform, the group advocating for the two
state questions. We have rock solid conservative leaders, think tanks and individuals behind these reforms, along with
individuals who would be perceived as
more moderate or liberal. For some its a
SEE POLL, PAGE 7A

The Oklahoman

State Questions
SoonerPoll conducted a poll of likely voters for The Oklahoman on six state questions
likely to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. The results showed strong support for a sales tax
increase for education and criminal justice reform. Voters remain largely split on the
Right to Farm question and on making changes to the Oklahoma Constitution concerning expenditures for religious purposes.
Strongly
support

Aug
01
2016
Page
A007

State Question 776

seeks to protect the
death penalty in Oklahoma by saying, among
other things, that when
an execution method is
declared invalid, the death
penalty will remain on the
books until it can be
carried out using a valid
execution method. If the
election were today,
would you:
10.7%

Dont know/
undecided

State Question 777,

known as Right to Farm,
would amend the state
constitution to say the
Legislature shall pass no
law which abridges the
rights of citizens and
lawful residents of
Oklahoma to employ
agricultural technology and
livestock production and
ranching practices without
a compelling state
interest. If the election
were today, would you:

9.7%
7.7%

11.3%
47.6%

Somewhat
oppose

State Question 779 asks

voters for approval to
increase state sales taxes
by one cent per dollar to
provide revenue for a
public education fund,
with the bulk of the
revenues generated by
that increase going
toward a $5,000
across-the-board pay
raises for public school
teachers. Revenues also
would benet higher
education and CareerTech. If the election were
held today, would you:

28%

10.5%
25%

25.2%

37.4%
11.8%
6.2%

State Question 780

amends statutes to
reform criminal sentences
for certain property and
drug offenses. It makes
simple drug possession a
misdemeanor. Property
offenses where the value
of the property is one
thousand dollars or more
remain felonies, and the
distribution possession
with intent to distribute,
transportation with intent
to distribute manufacture,
or trafcking of drugs
remain felonies. If the
election were today, would
you:
5.5%

8.9%

9.5%

Strongly
oppose

20.2%

24.4%

Clip
resized
25%
From
A001

Somewhat
support

41.3%

State Question 781

creates the County
Community Safety
Investment Fund. The
fund consists of costs
save by reclassifying as
misdemeanors certain
property crimes and drug
possession. The funds
must be distributed to
counties for the purpose
of funding rehabilitative
programs, such as mental
health and substance
abuse treatment
programs. This measure
only becomes effective if
voters approve State
Question 780, the
Oklahoma Smart Justice
Reform Act. If the election
were today, would you:
5.4%

7.2%

24.4%

State Question 790

would REPEAL section 5
of Article II of the Oklahoma constitution, which
prohibits public expenditure and property from
being used for religious
purposes. If the election
were today, would you:

24.7%

16.3%
15.9%

18.4%
24.7%

*SoonerPoll, conducted July 20-25,

4.91 margin of error

Go Code

SDEW

34.7%

31.4%

16.2%

39.7%

Go to oklahoman.
com and enter the
code to watch a
related video.

Poll: Presidential election

could impact other outcomes
FROM PAGE 1A

matter of fiscal responsibility, and for

others its a matter of social justice.
SQ 781 would use cost savings from
reclassifying misdemeanors to fund rehabilitative programs and received 71 percent support in last weeks poll.
State questions seeking teacher pay
raises and sentencing reform come at a
time when Oklahoma has one of the lowest average teacher salaries in the nation
and one of the highest incarceration rates.
But voters appear somewhat divided on
two questions related to farming practices
and changes to the state constitution.
SQ 777, known as Right to Farm,
received 53 percent support with another
25 percent saying they did not know
enough about the issue or were undecided,
which was the highest level of undecided
voters of the state questions polled.
Its confusing for people, and we are
constantly having to educate voters, said
Bud Scott, spokesperson with Oklahomans for Food, Farm and Family, an organization opposing SQ 777.
Twenty-five percent of respondents
said they were undecided over SQ 790,
which would repeal a section of the Oklahoma Constitution prohibiting public
funds from being used for religious property. Close to 43 percent said they were
opposed to changing the constitution,
and only 32 percent were in support.
State questions still are being confirmed
for the Nov. 8 ballot. A potential question
concerning the modernization of alcohol
laws was not included in the poll.

Subject to change
Last weeks poll results serve as a baseline and are subject to change, especially
as some of the heaviest campaigning in
support and opposition to state questions
is yet to come. The presidential election
also could affect state question outcomes.
Since both (presidential) candidates
are heavily disliked in Oklahoma, there
will be a portion of the electorate that
stays home, and thats going to impact
down ticket ballots, Shapard said.
The education tax increase may have
early support, but its an issue likely to
face strong opposition in the coming
weeks. Municipal leaders have started to
speak out against the sales tax increase,
and Gov. Mary Fallin tossed out her own
teacher pay raise plan that relied partly on

recently announced available funds from

the state budget.
Public schools are the anchor of a
community, so when Oklahomans see
their schools have to go to four-day
school weeks, teachers leaving the state
and budget cuts, Oklahomans are going
to respond, said Amber England, executive director of Stand for Children and an
advocate for SQ 779.
A statewide sales tax increase could
become a tougher sell in a state where
tax hikes are politically unpopular. Last
weeks poll found 41 percent of respondents saying they believed taxes already
were too high and another 41 percent seeing taxes at just the right amount.
Janice Scott was one the poll respondents who said taxes already were too
high, but she also expressed support for
the sales tax increase.
I just really dont like a lot of sales
tax increase, and if there was some other
way that would be wonderful, but I think
teachers dont get paid enough, said
Scott, a retiree living in Yukon. We have
(college) students graduating with their
teaching degree and then leaving the
state.
Opponents of Right to Farm said the
coming weeks also would see an increase
in their efforts.
Our mass media campaign hasnt even
been launched yet, said Scott, whose
organization includes membership from
several groups, including the Oklahoma
Municipal League and the Oklahoma
Farm and Food Alliance.
Every time we are talking with your
Regular Joe in the community, they dont
get it; they dont understand, Scott said.
It goes way over most peoples heads,
and thats what it was intended to do. But
as we educate people on the facts we feel
like opposition grows.
As commercials, advertisements,
newspaper editorials and endorsements
start to weigh in on the various state questions, voter opinions could change.
State questions are issues and very
much different than polling candidates,
Shapard said. What happens is people
get to know candidates, and they go, Hey,
I like them. Then they learn something
bad about them, and they still like them.
When people like an issue and then they
hear other people come out and say This
is wrong, we should not do it, thats when
we have seen numbers change.

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