Throughout its history, Oklahoma has been known for its commitment to agriculture. Yes, our oil and gas reserves and riches have been glamorized but this land was tamed with barbed wire, and it is agriculture that has kept the lights on for so many Oklahomans.
From growing wheat and cotton to raising cattle and chickens, generations of Oklahomans have fed their families and ours. And they built a great economy on agriculture.
Oklahomans also love this great land. From the “Keep Oklahoma Beautiful” campaigns to OERB’s efforts to rehab old well sites, we all want to keep our land grand.
Our state, nestled near the center of the Great Plains, has a diverse and beautiful landscape. For decades, this blend has worked well. Then things changed.
Two decades ago, the attorney general at that time - Democrat Drew Edmondson - went to court against poultry producers, seeking to better protect the Illinois River. Edmondson’s case was built around how much phosphorus from chicken waste was finding its way into state rivers.
Twenty years later, the courts ruled in favor of the state - however instead of assessing penalties, the courts said the parties should negotiate a settlement.
Our current attorney general said he wants to make corporations fund the cleanup. He also wants to implement stricter waste application rules and end what he calls the industry’s “misinformation campaign.”
He said the state isn’t suing farmers, but the corporations that control the litter disposal. However, with most things, nothing exists in a vacuum. Whether it be regulations or tariffs, everything gets passed down. Whatever regulations we intend to impose on “big corporations” get passed down to the producers who live, work, and call our communities home.
The debate has gone back and forth for two decades. But now with the current AG, who is seeking a higher office, the threats of litigation have not only continued but have intensified.
Still, throughout this process, one group of Oklahomans has been left out - the producers who raise the chickens. Their voices haven’t been heard. They raise their birds alongside our families. They sit in the pew with us in church. They shop in the same stores as you and me. They invest in our communities.
They are Okies, Sooners, Oklahomans - whatever you want to call us, but they are us.