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Oklahoma’s Right to Farm battle intensifies

Photo courtesy Oklahoma Department of Agriculture

Photo courtesy Oklahoma Department of Agriculture

As the election draws nearer, the battle over a Right to Farm ballot initiative in Oklahoma is intensifying.

Michael Kelsey, executive director of Oklahoma Cattlemen, tells Brownfield the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is making a major push to defeat the initiative.

“It’s no surprise whatsoever that Wayne Pacelle and his henchmen and HSUS would target this because they know that, if we pass this, it would severely restrict the ability of their emotion-based campaigns—their non-scientific based campaigns—to come to Oklahoma and to advance their agenda,” Kelsey says.

A recent poll by Tulsa TV station KOTV found 49 percent of likely voters support the Right to Farm initiative, with 36 percent opposed and 15 percent undecided.

Kelsey says he’s confident it will pass.

“It’s not going to be a landslide, either way, but we think we’re going to win and we’re going to win real close,” he says. “The ‘NO’ group has done a nice job of scaring people and confusing people. We have to educate, and that’s a much more difficult task.”

State Question 777 would place Right to Farm language into the Oklahoma constitution. Opponents say, if it passes, it would be nearly impossible to put new regulations on anything related to agriculture.

AUDIO: Michael Kelsey

  • Actually, the latest SoonerPoll shows 49 percent of likely voters are strongly or somewhat opposed to Right to Farm in Oklahoma, while support is dropping fast at only 37% compared to a high of 55% in the spring. The more people find out, the less they like it. Opponents include OU Coach Barry Switzer, Republican Gov. Frank Keating, Democratic Governors Brad Henry & David Walters, 11 cities, 7 newspapers, the Council of Churches, Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, Seminole Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, League of Women Voters, Urban Agrarian, Farmers Public Market, OKC Farmers Market District, and many more. Watch this: https://youtu.be/ypV1LdAz0_k.

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