Murdock's Minutes
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May 16, 2021
Oklahoma Sec. of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur, and Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee Chair, Sen. Casey Murdock, at Gov. Kevin Stitt's cook-out under a billboard on I-35 in Oklahoma City. The billboard, which says "OKLAHOMA, HOME OF MEATHEAD GOV. KEVIN STITT!" was rented by PETA as a swipe at Stitt's support of agriculture and meat consumption in the state.
You may remember a few weeks ago, I was author of concurrent resolution celebrating the importance of the production of beef, pork and poultry in Oklahoma. Combined, these producers contribute $18 billion annually to our state's economy. The resolution also encouraged Oklahomans to consume and enjoy meat and poultry, and coincided with a declaration by Governor Stitt, proclaiming "Meat All Week," which was in response to a "MeatOut Day" proclaimed by Colorado's governor.
Now the left-leaning organization PETA has rented a billboard in Oklahoma City on I-35 that says, "OKLAHOMA, HOME OF MEATHEAD GOV. KEVIN STITT!" How did Gov. Stitt respond to this ridiculous insult? Well, we had a cookout, right there under the billboard, grilling up burgers, hot dogs and steaks, and it was fantastic.
I love the fact that we were able to respond to this insult with humor while still supporting our ranchers and farmers. Think about how important agriculture is to this district and to our entire state. It's one of our top industries-it's part of our history, our culture and our identity. At the end of the day, I hope each of you knows without a shadow of a doubt I am always going to stand by agriculture in Oklahoma, and for the freedom of consumers to decide what they want on their table.
I've said it before, but I really have a lot of sympathy for the ranchers in Colorado – they have a governor that doesn't support them or their industry, even though it's an important part of their state's history and economy as well.
I'm really proud of the pro-agriculture bills I've been able to get all the way through the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Stitt this session. One that's still being worked on is Senate Bill 422. It has to do with the rule change by the Oklahoma Tax Commission that requires you to file a Schedule F form in order to receive your agriculture sales tax exemption. I've talked to so many folks throughout the district who simply don't feel comfortable sharing so much financial information with a county assessor's office. Right now, the bill is in conference committee, which is the process for resolving different approaches to legislation by the Senate and House. I hope when the final version is agreed to, we'll have a few options for farmers and ranchers about what documents can be used to get that agriculture sales tax exemption.
It is my honor to serve you in the Oklahoma State Senate. You can reach me by calling 405-521-5626 or emailing [email protected].
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