Alva Review-Courier -

Northwestern Oklahoma State University students will coordinate an interactive panel discussion on State Question 777 at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27, engaging participants simultaneously via live video on all of its four campuses in Alva, Enid, Woodward and Ponca City.

Developed by NWOSU’s CORE (Conserving our Ranger Environment) group, the discussion is to be focused on the consequences of SQ 777 if it is approved.

Called “right to farm” by its proponents, SQ 777 has elicited a broad coalition of opponents who believe the proposed change to the constitution is risky, unnecessary and could result in harmful environmental consequences and costly legal challenges in the coming years.

Participants will include farmers, ranchers, lawyers and business leaders, as well as Oklahoma Stewardship Council Co Chairman and former state Sen. Paul Muegge. CORE sponsor Professor Steven Mackie will moderate the discussion and it also will include Steve Sneary and Julia and Lacy Barker in Alva and Ben Ezzell, Paulette Rink and Bill Steinert in Enid.

The event will be free and open to the public at each of NWOSU’s four campuses:

• 709 E Oklahoma Blvd, Alva

• 2929 E Randolph Ave, Enid

• 2007 34th St, Woodward

• 2800 N. 14th St., Ponca City

“I’m a farmer and I know Oklahomans have always supported and admired their family farmers,” said Muegge, who also won the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2004. “However, SQ 777 isn’t about my and others’ right to farm because we’ve had that right since statehood; it’s already well protected in statue.”

Indicating the live forum in four communities was all about making sure citizens did understand what SQ 777’s implications really were, he added, “The more folks know about SQ 777, the more they are convinced it’s profoundly bad public policy and the ranks of the opposition deepens. This measure provides no benefits to farmers like me but it gives a blank check and wider environmental birth in the future for multinational corporations impacting our natural resources, especially water.”

The long list of community leaders and organizations opposing SQ 777 includes numerous cities and newspapers, the Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, former governors, the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, former University of Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys football coach Barry Switzer, the League of Women Voters, the Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Seminole Nation, Choctaw Nation, Muskogee (Creek) Nation, Humane Society of the United States, Save the Illinois River, Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma, Oklahomans for Food, Farm and Family, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, Tulsa Food Security Council and many more.

The Oklahoma Stewardship Council is a coalition of family farmers, community leaders and concerned citizens opposing SQ 777. For more information about the OSC, visit http://www.votenoon777.com.