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The Lone Grove Ledger

:HYHJRWTXHVWLRQV
Seven statewide ballot measures have
EHHQFHUWLHGIRUWKH1RYHPEHUEDOlot in the state of Oklahoma.
1-State Question 776 was designed to assert that all methods of execution shall be
constitutionally allowed, unless prohibited
by the United States Constitution, and designated statutorily by the legislature.
2-State Question 777 was designed to establish a constitutional guarantee for farmers and ranchers to engage in farming and
ranching practices.
3-State Question 779 was designed to increase the state sales tax by one percent to
generate revenue for education funding.
4-State Question 780 was designed to reclassify certain property offenses and simple
drug possession misdemeanor crimes
5-State Question 781 was designed to
use money saved by reclassifying certain
property and drug crimes as misdemeanors
outlined in State Question 780 to fund reha-

bilitative programs.
6-State Question 790 was designed
to repeal Section 5 of Article 2 of the
Oklahoma Constitution, which prohibits
public money from being spent for religious purposes.
7-State Question 792 was designed
to allow grocery stores and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer
and wine.

We will highlight one of the questions

each week until the November election.
%$//277,7/()2567$7(48(67,2112
This measure adds a new section to
the Oklahoma Constitution, Section 9A
of Article 2. The new Section deals with
the death penalty.
The Section establishes State constitutional mandates relating to the death
penalty and methods of execution. Un-

The Longhorns wind up

der these constitutional requirements: The

Legislature is expressly empowered to designate any method of execution not prohibited by the United States Constitution.
Death sentences shall not be reduced because a method of execution is ruled to be
invalid.
When an execution method is declared
invalid, the death penalty imposed shall remain in force until it can be carried out using
any valid execution method, and
The imposition of a death penalty under
Oklahoma lawas distinguished from a
method of executionshall not be deemed
WR EH RU FRQVWLWXWH WKH LQLFWLRQ RI FUXHO RU
XQXVXDO SXQLVKPHQW XQGHU 2NODKRPDV
Constitution, nor to contravene any provision of the Oklahoma Constitution.
6+$// 7+( 352326$/ %( $33529('"
)257+(352326$/<(6
$*$,1677+(352326$/12

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

Catoosa Independent

Sep
07
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Oklahoma Ag Groups Host Sporting

Clays Shoot To Support The SQ777
Vote YES Campaign
OKLAHOMA CITY
- Oklahoma agriculture
groups are hosting a sporting clays shoot to help support the vote yes campaign
for SQ777, known as,
Oklahomas Right to Farm.
The sporting clays shoot will
take place on Thursday, Oct.
13 at Silverleaf Shooting
Sports located near Guthrie,
Okla.
The proceeds from the
shoot will benefit Oklahoma
Farmers Care to support the
SQ777 Vote Yes Campaign,
said Jimmy Kinder, Treasurer
of Oklahoma Farmers Care.
Oklahoma
Agriculture
groups are united in supporting SQ777 because
agriculture is the lifeblood
of Oklahomas economy
and a deeply held part of
Oklahomas heritage.
Registration for event will
begin at 11 a.m., followed
by lunch at noon. A mandatory Safety Meeting for
all shooters starts at 12:30
p.m. and shooting begins
promptly at 1 p.m.
Individuals or teams
of four may participate.
Entering early is encouraged.
On-site entry is available for
an additional cost. Awards
will be given to the top individual and top team.
To learn more or
enter, visit http://www.

okcattlemen.org/
sq777sportingclaysshoot.
aspx.
Oklahoma Farmers Care

is a group of Oklahoma
farmers and farmer-led organizations that are working in
support of State Question
777.

Tulsa
Stock Yard,
Inc.

Call Joe Don

(918)760-1300

Sale Every
Monday
Begins 9 a.m.
161st & I44
Tulsa, Okla.

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

Inola Independent

Sep
07
2016
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Oklahoma Ag Groups Host Sporting

Clays Shoot To Support The SQ777
Vote YES Campaign
OKLAHOMA CITY
- Oklahoma agriculture
groups are hosting a sporting clays shoot to help support the vote yes campaign
for SQ777, known as,
Oklahomas Right to Farm.
The sporting clays shoot will
take place on Thursday, Oct.
13 at Silverleaf Shooting
Sports located near Guthrie,
Okla.
The proceeds from the
shoot will benefit Oklahoma
Farmers Care to support the
SQ777 Vote Yes Campaign,
said Jimmy Kinder, Treasurer
of Oklahoma Farmers Care.
Oklahoma
Agriculture
groups are united in supporting SQ777 because
agriculture is the lifeblood
of Oklahomas economy
and a deeply held part of
Oklahomas heritage.
Registration for event will
begin at 11 a.m., followed
by lunch at noon. A mandatory Safety Meeting for
all shooters starts at 12:30
p.m. and shooting begins
promptly at 1 p.m.
Individuals or teams
of four may participate.
Entering early is encouraged.
On-site entry is available for
an additional cost. Awards
will be given to the top individual and top team.
To learn more or
enter, visit http://www.

okcattlemen.org/
sq777sportingclaysshoot.
aspx.
Oklahoma Farmers Care

is a group of Oklahoma
farmers and farmer-led organizations that are working in
support of State Question
777.

Tulsa
Stock Yard,
Inc.

Call Joe Don

(918)760-1300

Sale Every
Monday
Begins 9 a.m.
161st & I44
Tulsa, Okla.

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

The Norman Transcript

. 7, 2016

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

A5

N E WS BRI EF S

Norman event to
educate voters
on dangers of SQ
777

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2016
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Opponents of State Question 777 are inviting voters

to learn more about the state
question that will alter Oklahomas constitution and take
away the ability of local governments to regulate corporate
agriculture in the state.
Hosted by the Oklahoma
Stewardship Council, a kick-off
meeting in Norman is set for
6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 14
at the Norman Public Library,
225 N. Webster. Attendees will
be given information and resources to engage in specific
efforts in their local community
to defeat SQ 777.

New On-Street
Parking
Restriction
Both Sides of
Eddington
Street, West of
Monnet Avenue
During the week of Sept.
12, City Traffic Control Division
crews will be installing No
Parking signs along the north
and south sides of Eddington Street, west of Monnet
Avenue. This action is being
taken in response to a request
from residents and property
owners on Eddington Street.
As required by city policy,
property owners in the affected area followed the required
process and submitted a valid
support petition for the new
parking restriction.
For additional information, please contract Angelo
Lombardo, City Transportation
Engineer at 366-5327.

First phase of
108th Avenue SE
reconstruction
project begins
today
A contractor for the City of
Norman will begin construction
today on the first phase of the
108h Avenue SE project. This
work, which will begin after the
morning drive time, requires
temporarily closing the one
mile segment of 108th Avenue
SE between Etowah Road and
Post Oak Road to through
traffic.
The closure will allow the
contractor to install the new
drainage structures under
108th Avenue SE. Signs will
be in place to detour the traveling public around the construction using 120th Avenue SE.
Local access to nearby
homes will be provided to
residents within the closure
area as well as access for
school buses. Bus routes may
be delayed as a result of the
road closure.
If weather cooperates, the
construction should be completed by mid-September. The
contractor for the project
is Silver Star Construction
Company. Questions can
be directed to Tim Miles,
capital projects Engineer, at
(405)366-5454.

Forum on state
question
On Monday evening, Sept.
19, the Norman League of
Women Voters will host a
Forum on State Question
777, the Right to Farm. at
the Norman Public Library,
Rooms A-B, in Norman, from
7:00-9:00 pm. The event will
be part of the Leagues annual
Fall Meeting.
Speakers at this event
include Roy Lee Lindsay of
the Oklahoma Pork Council
and Randy Ross , Mayor of
Choctaw, representing the
Oklahoma Municipal League.
The discussion will focus on
the intent and potential impact
of State Question 777 which
will appear on the Nov. 8
ballot. This ballot measure
would amend the Oklahoma

Constitution and prohibit the

legislature from passing any
law that 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. The community
is invited and encouraged to
participate in this discussion.
The League of Women
Voters is a citizens organization that works to improve our
government and engage all
citizens in the decisions that
impact their lives. The League
is nonpartisan, and we do not
support or oppose candidates
for public office. However,
we are well known for hosting
forums on topical issues in our
communities and for hosting
forums involving candidates
for elective office. We undertake this because we believe
deeply that the public should
hear different views on the
issues facing our communities. An honest and respectful
sharing of ideas is vital to
the functioning of American
democracy.

Sam Noble
Museum to open
earthquake
exhibit
Learn all about the science
of earthquakes, tsunamis and
tectonic plates at the Sam
Noble Oklahoma Museum of
Natural History as it hosts the
traveling exhibit When the
Earth Shakes Sept. 17-Jan.
2, 2017.
This really is an exhibit
that will fascinate people of
all ages, especially those who
have a special interest in the
science behind earthquakes,
said Morgan Day, spokesperson for the museum. Our
visitors are going to walk away
with a better understanding
of earthquakes and what
engineers are doing to make
our world safer.
Visitors can immerse
themselves in interactive
earthquake exhibits by jumping
up and down on a platform,
changing how hard they jump,
to match the seismogram
from a historic earthquake.
They also can watch how
continents move and re-form
as they spin the dial through
geologic history, from 600
million years ago all the way to
200 million years in the future,
and see where earthquakes
happen all around the world
on the seismic monitor that
shows them in real time.
Museum-goers will see
fast-paced videos of engineers
working to make our world safer as they use amazing tools
and technology to test and
improve building techniques
and materials. In the Puzzled
Earth display, visitors can see
how quickly they can assemble
a map of giant tectonic plates
before the clock runs out
and all the pieces fall. On the
Shake Table platform, they
can test their engineering skills
by using blocks and reinforcing rods to design and build a
model of an earthquake-safe
building. They can even test
their structure against an
earthquake to see if it holds up
and then redesign the building
to make it even safer.
Guests also can explore
the science behind tsunami
waves with the 16-foot-long
Tsunami Tank by building a
structure to withstand large,
crashing waves. Visitors can
spin the dial, replay the impact
in slow-motion, then improve
the design.
When the Earth Shakes
is sponsored by NEES, the
National Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation, a group of 14 university research facilities where
engineers and scientists have
tested buildings and structures with giant shake tables,
centrifuges, a tsunami wave
basin and other large-scale
equipment. The exhibition was
developed by Sciencenter in
Ithaca, New York, with funding
from the National Science
Foundation and NEES.

Submitted Content

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Tahlequah Daily Press

STATE QUESTIONS

Ag, environment interests differ on SQ 777

Second in a six-part
series on state
questions on
Oklahomas
November ballot
BY SEAN ROWLEY

srowley@tahlequahdailypress.com

In the upcoming Nov. 8 election, voters may be confronted

with a couple of state questions
with which they are not familiar.
But one has been a topic of discussion in Cherokee County for
the past year: State Question 777.
SQ 777 is the Right to Farm
measure, which would add language to the state constitution
stating the Oklahoma Legislature
must meet a higher compellinginterest standard to pass agricultural and ranching regulations.
The protections would not apply
to easements, rights-of-way, eminent domain, or any regulatory

File photo

The Illinois River is a tourist attraction, source of drinking water, and counted among Oklahomas scenic rivers. Opponents of State Question 777, or Right to Farm, point to the decades-long battle to reduce animal waste runo into the Illinois as proof of the necessity of
regulations. State Question 777 would allow state further regulation of farming and ranching practices only under a compelling state interest.
measure passed before Dec. 31,
2014.
The language reads: The legislature shall pass no law that
abridges the right of farmers and
ranchers to employ agricultural

technology and livestock production and ranching practices without a compelling state interest.
The state question has sown
discord between agricultural and

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

See 777, page 2

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Tahlequah Daily Press

Continued from page 1

777
environmental interests.
It found plenty of opposition in Eastern Oklahoma, particularly among
water conservation advocates.
Save the Illinois River
Inc. has registered vehement dissent, calling it
Right to Harm and SQ
666. Denise DeasonToyne, STIR president,
has said, The inability
for legislatures to regulate harmful practices
would certainly interfere with our mission
to preserve and protect
the Illinois River, Tenkiller Lake and tributaries. Oklahomans already
enjoy a right to farm and
no one is attempting
to take that right away.
STIR believes SQ 777 can
lead to serious harm-

ful consequences which

would prohibit future local and state legislative
bodies from legislating
protective measures for
the Illinois River as well
as other environmental
concerns.
The in-state opposition to SQ 777 seemed
to surprise supporters of
the measure, who have
stated the purpose of the
question is to frustrate
interference in farming practices by animal
rights groups, not give
farmers a free hand to
pollute the environment.
We hear people say
they thought they always
had the right to farm,
said Gage Milliman,
northeast field representative for the Oklahoma
Farm Bureau, in March.

Well, thats the case until someone tells you that

you dont have the right.
This question is about
future protection against
anyone who might want
to come in and change
what we do with farm
animals or crops, whether it is people in politics
or outside interests who
maybe dont have the
whole story on what we
are doing.
Proponents of SQ 777
have since tried to find a
degree of common cause
with opponents. State
lawmakers introduced
bills addressing water
conservation, and supporters say farmers and
ranchers also need clean
water resources.
However, opponents
believe using constitu-

tional language to protect agriculture is giving

away the store, and that
farming or ranching is
no more deserving of
special treatment than
coal mining or furniture
repair. They also believe
an abrogation of regulatory responsibility by
the state might invite the
more distant federal government to impose its
own regulations through
the EPA and other agencies.
Though there is a bit
of an east-west divide on
SQ 777, it is not monolithic.
Tonya Teaney, chair
for the Republican Party
of Cherokee County,
based her support of SQ
777 on the need for free
markets.

The Food Truck 5K will take place

Saturday Sept. 10 and will include a fun run.
Races will start and finish at
Tahlequah Runner, 3040 S Muskogee Ave. at 6p.m.

5K

Fun Run

Every Dollar Counts

We should all have

the right to raise, produce
and sell without laws and
regulations, Teaney said.
It should be between
the buyer and the seller.
Increasing regulations
over the years have put
under small businesses
and individual sellers.
Dana Rogers, chair
of the Democratic Party
of Cherokee County, is
against the measure.
We oppose 777 and
would suggest any bill
with right to means exactly the opposite, like
Right to Work, she said.
Libertarian Dr. Shannon Grimes found the
language of SQ 777 nebulous, and didnt believe
it would stop Oklahoma
from doing anything.
If this passes, it will
end up being settled in
the courts, he said. It is
too vague and no one really knows the end result,
despite what some may
hope it means. And then,
the compelling state in-

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

terest clause likely insures the state will still

do whatever it wants, as
history has shown compelling interest is often
broadly applied.
Missouri has placed
right-to-farm language
in its constitution. It was
controversial and the
statewide vote in 2014
required a recount. The
Missouri clause reads:
The right of farmers
and ranchers to engage
in farming and ranching
practices shall be forever
guaranteed in this state.
Oklahoma has a rightto-farm statute. It is intended to shield farmers
and ranchers from nuisance lawsuits by neighbors over the sounds,
scents and debris often
attendant with farming
and ranching.
Arguments in favor
of SQ 777 can be read at
oklahomarighttofarm.
com, and arguments
against are at votenoon777.com.

The Valliant Leader

as
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Sep
07
2016
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(Leader Photo by Janell DeWitt)

Guest Editorial

Switzer Says Vote No On SQ 777

Former Coach Says 777 Encourages Puppy Mills
E\%DUU\6ZLW]HU
My passion for the gridiron
is well known. What a lot of
people dont know about me
is my love of animals.
My wife, Becky, and I own
several dogs and they are a
big part of our life. We have
trained working dogs, and
we own others that are being
trained for search and rescue
missions. Weve also rescued
many dogs over the years who
were abused or neglected and
we do whatever we can to elevate animal welfare, including
facilitating adoptions. Our
passion for animals is just one
of the reasons we oppose State
Question 777.
If SQ 777 passes, it will
make it easier for puppy mills
to exist. Puppy mill operators
will be able to classify themselves as farmers and their
animals as livestock.
Puppy mills are atrocities
where neglect, disease and
abuse is rampant. Animals
are caged 24-7 and some live
their entire lives in wire cages,
never once touching or rolling
in the grass. Adult dogs are
often debarked, which involves
ramming a steel rod down their
throats to rupture their vocal
cords.
I could go on with the atrocities, but you get the point:
puppy mills are an abomination.
Another reason Becky and I

are voting no on SQ 777 is because it threatens Oklahomas

ability to maintain clean water
and air for our grandchildren.
Instead, it gives constitutional
protection to corporations who
SURW RII LQGXVWULDO IDUPLQJ
entrusting them, and not local
DQG VWDWH RIFLDOV WR GHFLGH
whats best for Oklahomans
public welfare.
These corporations are trying to mislead voters by painting SQ 777 as right to farm
and using wholesome imagery
of family farmers and Oklahoma landscapes to lure votes to
change our state constitution.
This is a problem because SQ
777 isnt about family farmers;
its about big-time corporate
agriculture wanting fewer and
fewer restrictions on how they
operate.
Oklahomas family farmers
have always been good team
players, taking care of land,
water and air. Big Ag doesnt
have the same game plan and
winning record.
Big Ag is trying to represent itself as the underdog, as
the little team being blitzed.
Theyre actually going town
to town across our state saying theyre in danger of being
sacked and that our food supply could be compromised.
Im not making this up.
Thats what theyre saying to
scare Oklahomans into voting
yes. Football coaches would

call this a trick play, a tight

end around, and we shouldnt
be fooled by it.
Consider this football analogy: One team is Big Ag. The
other team is natural resources
and animal welfare. The referHHVDUHVWDWHDQGORFDORIFLDOV
who make sure both sides play
fair. But a yes vote for SQ
777, gives Team Big Ag the
referees, too.
If this happens, its game
over. Big Ag will hang halfa-hundred on us.
Join me in voting No on
777.

/HWWHUV3ROLF\

The Valliant Leader welcomes

Letters To The Editor on topics
that we believe will be of interest
to our readers.This newspaper ZLOO
not publish unsigned letters under
any circumstance. To be considered for publication, a letter must
contain the signature, the address
and phone number of the writer.
The Valliant Leader ZLOOXSRQUHTXHVW, withhold the writers name
from publication.
We ZLOOHGLWOHWWHUV when necessary, but will make every effort
not to change the letters essential
meaning.
This newspaper ZLOO QRW SXEOLVK
letters to the editor that we believe to be libelous, or letters that
indicate support for, or opposition
to a political candidate during that
candidates political campaign.
Persons wanting to support or
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purchase advertising space at our
regular political advertising rate.
For more info. call (580) 933-4579

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Woodward News

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07
2016

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Page 7A

Kirkpatrick Foundation blasts Right to Farm Bill

By James Beaty
CNHI News Service

Page
A007

WOODWARD NEWS

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Brian Jones of the

Kirkpatrick Foundation
says the foundation
opposes passage of State
Question 777, known as
the Right to Farm Bill,
for several reasons.
Jones
recently
addressed the McAlester
Rotary Club on the issue.
Hes traveling around
the state talking about
SQ 777 on behalf of the
Kirkpatrick Foundation.
The Oklahoma Citybased foundation is a
private entity created in
1955 with a mission
statement of funding the
arts, culture, education,
animal well-being, historic preservation and
environmental conservation.
SQ 777 called the
Right to Farm or the
Right to Harm Bill,
depending on who is
doing the talking has
both ardent supporters
and detractors across the
state. If passed, it will
alter the Oklahoma constitution.
Jones said his role as
director of education for
the
Kirkpatrick
Foundation is to make
Oklahoma
residents
aware of whats at stake
if the measure passes
when it comes up for a
statewide vote on the
November 8 General
Election ballot.
It would fundamentally change the way
Oklahoma
regulates
agriculture, he said.
Jones contended the
measure that prohibits
what the Legislature can
do regarding agricultural
regulations may go fur-

ther than many people

realize.
You might think that
the Legislature means
House and Senate on
Lincoln
Boulevard,
Jones said, referring to
the state Capitol. Jones
contended passage of SQ
777 could affect much
more than the state
Legislature.
I think that when 777
says Legislative, it
means any decisionmaking body at every
level of the state, Jones
said. Passage of 777
would be a restriction on
the legislative process to
restrict agriculture, he
said.
It would also single
out the agricultural
industry and give it the
same weight as the First
Amendments freedom
of speech and the
Second Amendments
right to bear arms, he
said.
Right now, the state
legislature has a general
authority to restrict any
industry in the state,
Jones said.
Passage of SQ 777
would not prohibit the
state from passing laws
abridging the rights of
citizens and state residents to employ agricultural technology, livestock production and
ranching practices, but
says the Legislature cannot do so without compelling state interest.
State Question 777
would make it very difficult to successfully challenge the agriculture
industry in courts, said
Jones, who is also an
attorney.
So what is the compelling state interest?

Jones asked. He compared it to the beyond a

reasonable doubt provision that is required to be
proven before someone
is convicted in a criminal
trial.
It means you cant
put a person in jail
unless
its
proven
beyond a reasonable
doubt, he said, calling it
the highest standard of
the law.
Jones maintained that
passage of SQ 777
would grant a single
industry the right to
override the will of the
legislature.
It could allow a corporation run by a single
foreign national to come
into courts citing the
protections of SQ 777,
he said.
While passage of SQ
777 is supported by the
Oklahoma Farm Bureau,
the Nebraska Farm
Bureau backed away
from its initial support in
that state, Jones said.
Talking about how SQ
777 could affect previously-passed legislation,
Jones said Theres a
grandfather clause that
says it cant apply to any
law passed before 2014.
However, it could affect
legislation passed after
2014.
In
2015,
the
Oklahoma Legislature
significantly revised procedures to challenge a
request to put in a chicken farm, said Jones.
Some
of
those
opposed to passage of
SQ 777 are concerned it
would affect the states
ability to regulate where
large operations, such as
hog and chicken farms,
could be placed.

Jones also responded

to a question regarding
unintended
consequences if the measure
passes. He noted there
have been lots of questions regarding animals.
He said the legal definition of livestock in
Oklahoma is any animal or bird in captivity.
If somebody is breeding tigers in their garage,
could they say they have
a constitutional right to
do it? asked Jones.
Asked by a Rotary
Club member whos for
and against the measure,
Jones said its supported
by the Oklahoma Farm
Bureau, the Oklahoma
Poultry Federation and
the Oklahoma Pork
Council.
Some of those against
passage include the
Oklahoma Municipal
League, the city of
Edmond, the Sierra Club
and Save the Illinois
River.

Brian Jones, of the Kirkpatrick Foundation, makes a

point while speaking to the McAlester Rotary Club
about the foundations opposition to State Question
777, known as the Right to Farm Bill. (CNHI News
Service)

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