OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma has a reputation for agriculture that pre-dates statehood, but some rural lawmakers feel that tradition could come under fire from animal rights groups. They're proposing an amendment to the state constitution to ensure that doesn't happen.
Republican Representative Scott Biggs of Chickasha has introduced a so-called "Right to Farm" measure calling for a statewide vote on whether the right to farm and ranch in Oklahoma shall be "forever guaranteed." The bill is backed by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, a powerful lobbying force at the Capitol.
But the measure also is facing fierce opposition from both animal rights groups and the Oklahoma Municipal League, who call it a "Right to Harm" measure that could protect agricultural corporations from state oversight.