The Oklahoma Farm Bureau apparently is behind a scheme to derail appointment of a noted conservationist to the Oklahoma Water Resource Board. SCR 22 approved.
From STIR's Capitol sources....
Ed Fite, Director of Oklahoma's Scenic Rivers Commission, has been nominated to fill a vacancy on the OWRB Board
This morning, a subcommittee considered the nomination
One of the committee members held up a memo, incorrectly identified as being from the Attorney General's office, which stated that there would be a conflict of interest if Ed served both as the Director of the Scenic Rivers commission and as a Board member of the OWRB
Drew Edmondson happened to be at the subcommittee meeting, and explained that the memo was from the Farm Bureau, not from the Attorney General's office
Several committee members then asked questions about a "conflict of interest", and the chairman held over the nomination until the subcommittee meets again
Obviously, the Farm Bureau has been stirring opposition.
The committee, Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, passed scr 22 on a vote of 10 to 5. Reportedly the resolution was modified before passage. Opponents of the resolution say it is a favor to the poultry industry which is facing a lawsuit by Oklahoma over water quality issues.
