perspective040910

PERSPECTIVE OKLAHOMA FARM BUREAU

®

April 9, 2010

COMMODITY TOUR – USDA’s Southern Plains Range Research Station (SPRRS) in Woodward was just one stop during Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Commodity Tour March 31 - April 1. Research Agronomist Tim Springer, left, took participants on a tour of the SPRRS greenhouses and talked about Eastern Gamagrass, which is being researched as a highly productive improved forage grass, a potential perennial grain crop, and also as a genetic resource for corn improvement. Approximately 50 producers from across the state attended the tour. For a photo gallery and more, visit www.okfarmbureau.org.

HB 3202 passes Senate by 38 to 7 vote

By Lori Kromer Peterson, Vice President of Public Policy

2 0 1 0 MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD – Unable to attend Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Leadership Conference in February, OFB Meritorious Service Award recipient Sen. Sean Burrage was honored during a legislative dinner, hosted by Rogers and Mayes County Farm Bureaus March 25 at Moore's Catfish Farm in Claremore. Presenting the award were, from left, Rogers County Farm Bureau President E.J. Snider, Sen. Sean Burrage, Mayes County Farm Bureau President Jonathan Scheffel and Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling.

Protecting Traditional Animal Husbandry Practices The legislative process continues in Oklahoma and now the State Senate has voted in favor of HB 3202. Passing quickly, with few questions and no debate, HB 3202 came out of the Senate by a margin of 38 to 7. This bill, authored by Rep. Don Armes and Sen. Mike Schulz, clarifies that acts of animal husbandry are not prohibited by the Veterinary Practice Act. It also requires that of the five veterinarian members of the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (Board), one (See Legislative Update, page 3)

Member Benefits • PetPartners, Inc. – Offers health care for

your dog or cat. 877-738-7888, www.okfbph.com

• Farm Bureau Bank – Offers access to a broad array of financial services for members. Checking, loans, CDs, money markets and credit cards are a few of the services available only to members. 800492-3276, www.farmbureaubank.com OFB will highlight a few benefits in each issue of Perspective as a reminder of the savings available to OFB members.

Find a complete list of savings online at www.okfarmbureau.org.

OFB Calendar Congressional Action Tour April 11-15 • Washington, D.C. Contact: Lori Peterson, 405-523-2539 State FFA Convention April 27-28 • Oklahoma City Contact: Marcia Irvin, 405-523-2405 YF&R Golf Classic May 7 • Turkey Creek Course in Hennessey Contact: Marcia Irvin, 405-523-2405

Obama lifts ban on offshore drilling The Obama administration recently proposed opening vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling.

The proposal ends a longstanding moratorium on oil exploration along the East Coast from the northern tip of Delaware to the central coast of Florida, covering 167 million acres of ocean.

Under the plan, the coastline from New Jersey northward would remain closed to all oil and gas activity. So would the Pacific Coast, from Mexico to the Canadian border.

The environmentally sensitive Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska would be protected and no drilling would be allowed under the plan, officials said. But large tracts in the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska—nearly 130 million acres—would be eligible for exploration and drilling after extensive studies.

AFBF applauds President Obama’s decision to increase offshore drilling. AFBF supports energy policy that expedites the development of energy resources anywhere in the U.S., including the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, Outer Continental Shelf and Bakken oil fields.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Online Monitor the latest Farm Bureau and agricultural news and information online at www.okfarmbureau.org.

Currently online: • Cattle Sale – Find information on the OFB-sponsored Herd Builder Private Treaty Sale during the 6th annual Southern Plains Farm Show April 15-17 at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.

• YF&R Golf Classic – Information is available on the 8th Annual YF&R Golf Classic, which will be held May 7 at the Turkey Creek Course in Hennessey. Proceeds will benefit the OFB Legal Foundation.

Flyers are available for download and distribution. Sponsors are welcome!

www.okfarmbureau.org 2

YF&R to sponsor Golf Classic at Turkey Creek May 7 The 8th Annual YF&R Golf Classic, sponsored by OFB’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, will be held May 7 at the Turkey Creek golf course in Hennessey. All proceeds will benefit the OFB Legal Foundation.

Participants may register as a team, or individually for the four-man scramble. The cost is $340 per team, or $85 per person. Mulligans are also available for purchase for $10 each (limit 3 per person). Sponsorships are welcome!

Teams or individuals must be registered and paid by May 1. To register, contact OFB’s Marcia Irvin, (405) 523-2405 or mirvin@okfb. org. Send checks, payable to the OFB Legal Foundation, to Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Attn: Marcia Irvin, 2501 N. Stiles, OKC, OK 73105.

Check-in is at 11 a.m. followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. Teams will tee off at 1 p.m.

Flyers are available for download and distribution at www.okfarmbureau.org.

Farm Bureau asks Congress to nullify EPA’s scheme Now is the time for Congress to nullify greenhouse gas permit requirements that were announced in late March by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to AFBF, efforts under way in Congress and legal challenges undertaken by state governments are offering corrective paths to undo a very real disaster headed toward farm and ranch families.

AFBF President Bob Stallman said Farm Bureau strongly backs a Senate resolution to disapprove of EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act, and a companion measure in the House.

According to Stallman, the Agriculture Department warned in 2008 that if greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural operations are regulated under the Clean Air Act, numerous farms that currently are not subject to a costly and time-consuming permitting process would, for the first time, become covered entities.

“We urge Congress to take action before the regulations take effect next January,” he said.

Legislative Update... (continued from page 1)

must be an equine practitioner and one must be a large animal practitioner. HB 3202 also sets up a certification process for equine teeth floaters under the Board. An amendment was placed on the bill in the Senate at the request of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

That amendment further clarifies that this is not an illegal drug issue. HB 3202 will now go back to the House of Representatives for acceptance of the amendment before going to the Governor’s desk.

Disapproval of $50 to $500 Fee for Groundwater Permits Supported by Oklahoma Farm Bureau, HJR 1036 will soon be heard by the House of Representatives. Authored by Rep. George Faught and Sen. Ron Justice, this resolution will disapprove an administrative rule promulgated by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to require a $50 fee for all groundwater permits, including those used for agriculture irrigation.

This $50 fee would be per permit up to $500 per person and would be paid annually with an additional $50 late fee. Passage of HJR 1036 will disapprove the proposed fees. The resolution must also pass the Senate.

Legislative Approval of Agency Rules A longtime priority issue for Oklahoma Farm Bureau has been to change the law to require legislative approval of agency promulgated rules. Under current law, an agency rule becomes law unless the legislature disapproves it; therefore, no action by the legislature means an agency rule is law. SB 817, by Sen. Randy Brogdon and Rep. George Faught, and HB 3311, by Rep. Scott Martin and Sen. John Sparks, both seek to require legislative approval of agency promulgated rules. HB 2852, by Rep. John Wright, seeks to amend the Administrative Procedures Act. SB 817 is a carryover from last session, set on the House floor agenda. HB 3311 and HB 2852 both recently passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This issue will likely be determined in conference committee at the end of the legislative session.

Paving Districts HB 3160, authored by Rep. Leslie Osborn and Sen. Ron Justice, seeks to exempt agriculture property owners from unwanted assessments by paving districts. For agriculture property owners who do not wish to develop their property, the paving assessment is an unwanted tax. HB 3160 recently passed the Senate Agriculture Committee and must now go before the full Senate.

(See Legislative Update, page 4)

Ag Day

at the

Capitol

State FBW Chair Clara Wichert, right, congratulated 2010 Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Linda Gunsaulis of Fairview during Ag Day at the State Capitol.

The FBW Committee will sponsor Gunsaulis at the National AITC Conference this summer.

Hundreds browsed agricultural displays in the Capitol Rotunda during Ag Day March 25.

2010 Farm City Festival

Major County’s Lucy Ulrich, center, and Jane Eitzen, right, helped Rep. Jeff Hickman load his plate during this year’s Farm City Festival at the State Capitol March 30. Approximately 700 lawmakers and staff enjoyed homemade food items made by farm women from across the state. Each year, Farm Bureau Women host the special luncheon to emphasize the major role agriculture plays in the Oklahoma economy.

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Published by Oklahoma Farm Bureau Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Perspective, P.O. B. 53332, OKC, OK 73152-3332

Oklahoma Farm Bureau 2501 N. Stiles Oklahoma City, OK 73105-3126

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Staff Directory Traci Morgan, 523-2346 Perspective/Online News Editor Sam Knipp, 523-2347 Vice President of Communications/PR Lori Kromer Peterson, 523-2539 Vice President of Public Policy Marla Peek, 523-2437 Director of Regulatory Affairs Tyler Norvell, 523-2402 Director of State Affairs

Legislative Update Eminent Domain Improvement to eminent domain law will have to wait another year. HB 3053 failed to receive a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee. The bill, authored by Rep. Pat Ownbey, passed the House General Government Committee and the full House of Representatives. This legislation would have required that land taken by eminent domain and not used for the intended purposes be offered back to the landowner for the original purchase price.

Annexation SB 1864, authored by Sen. Brian Bingman and Rep. Sky McNiel, recently passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7 to 3. The bill seeks to address sections of law relating to annexation by towns just as legislation in 2009 addressed annexation laws for cities. SB 1864 would allow a landowner who was wrongfully annexed to recover attorney fees and would also allow owners of agriculture land previously annexed to have an exemption from municipal ordinances relating to agriculture use of the land. The bill now goes before the full House of Representatives.

Increased F ines for Shooting from the Road This session trespass legislation comes in the form of increasing fines for shooting from the road. Currently, the fine is only $100 for this type of poaching. SB 2093 by Sen. John Sparks and Rep. Mike Sanders seeks to increase this fine to no less than $500 or more than $1,500 for a first offense, and no less than $1,500 or more than $2,500 for a second offense. These are the current fine levels for trespassing and hunting without permission on agriculture

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land. SB 2093 will soon be heard in the House committee before going before the full House.

Removal of W heat Commission from the Central Purchasing Act HB 3204, authored by Rep. Don Armes and Sen. Ron Justice passed out the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill, should it become law, would remove the Wheat Commission from the requirement of the Central Purchasing Act. HB 3204 could be a great cost saving measure for the Wheat Commission, a non-appropriated agency that runs completely on producer dollars.

HB 3204 will be heard by the Senate in the coming weeks.

Landowner Rights for W ind Energy Development HB 2973 has been voted out of the

Senate Appropriations Committee while SB 2132 has passed the Senate Energy Committee. Both bills, authored by Rep. Mike Sanders and Sen. Bryce Marlatt, are works in progress that seek to address some concerns for landowners wishing to develop wind rights. The bills may address such items as the decommissioning of commercial wind energy facilities while still encouraging wind development in Oklahoma. HB 2973 must now be heard on the Senate floor while SB 2132 will be heard by the full House.

SB 1787, by Sen. Mike Schulz and Rep. Mike Sanders, would prohibit the severance of wind rights from the surface owner.

SB 1787 is still alive in the process and will likely go to conference committee for further discussion.

NEW OFFICE – Major County Farm Bureau celebrated the grand opening of its new county office March 26 with a hamburger feed and open house attended by state and county leaders and staff.