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Mar 2018 Page resized

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The Express-Star

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Henryetta Free-Lance
Edmonson announces
Mar
07
Family Farms Bill of Rights
2018 Gubernatorial candidate outlines guiding
Page principles for agriculture, rural Oklahoma
A004
Gubernatorial candidate Drew
Clip
resized Edmondson today unveiled a “Family
50% Farmers Bill of Rights” offering tangible
solutions to protect Oklahoma’s long tra-
dition of agriculture in rural communi-
ties and its important role in the state’s
economy.
“Agriculture is vital part of our econo-
my,” Edmondson said. “Faced with com-
petition from corporate monopolies and
encroachment by foreign corporations,
our farmers and ranchers are struggling
to preserve not only a way of life they
love but a critical piece of our state’s
economic prosperity. As governor, I will
work to protect our family farms and
rural communities.”
Edmondson, who led the charge to stop
State Question 777, a ballot measure
sponsored by corporate agriculture in
2016, said he would continue working to
level the playing field for family farm-
ers.
“Right now the deck is stacked in
favor of wealthy multinational corpora-
tions,” Edmondson said. “The Family
Farmers Bill of Rights is a set of key val-
ues that will help guide our regulatory
agencies so we can preserve family
farms for the next generation.”
Edmondson today laid out five key
components for the Family Farmers Bill
of Rights, including:
1. Right to Repair
“It’s a no brainer that a farmer should
be able to repair his or her own farming
equipment, but corporate entities are
prohibiting their ability to do so,”
Edmondson said. “In my first term, I’ll
introduce the Fair Repair Act to require
manufacturers to release repair informa-
tion and to sell the spare parts necessary
so farmers can make those repairs
regardless of warranty language to the
contrary.
2. Right to Transparent Labeling
“Consumers want more information
when it comes to their food sources,”
Edmondson said. “For decades, produc-
ers have been required to include nutri-
tion information on their products. It’s
time to add country of origin to the list
of required information. People will trust
meat and produce raised in Oklahoma
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
and be more likely to purchase an
Oklahoma product than one that comes
from China.”
3. Right to Rural Opportunity
“The closure of rural hospitals and the
proliferation of four-day school weeks
are killing our small towns,” Edmondson
said. “We can preserve our agricultural
communities by protecting the communi-
ties they call home. Unlike other candi-
dates in the race for governor, I’ll con-
tinue to oppose forced school consolida-
tion, and I have a real plan to address the
budget woes that are plaguing our health
care system, our schools and services for
our veterans – not just in Oklahoma City
and Tulsa, but in rural parts of the state
too.”
4. Right to Local Control of our
Land
“The best government is local govern-
ment, but the current administration has
made a bad habit of passing state laws
that prohibit municipalities from protect-
ing the land and water within their bor-
ders. That practice has to stop, and it
will stop with me.”
5. Right to Protect Our Natural
Resources
“We have to end corporate stacking of
regulatory entities in Oklahoma, includ-
ing the Oklahoma Water Resources
Board and the Department of
Agriculture. For too long, big business
has been able to self-regulate by placing
representatives on these boards – the
very entities charged with protecting our
natural resources. We have to end this
practice and guarantee family farmers a
seat at the table.”
Edmondson laid out the components of
his plan at a meeting of the Oklahoma
Farm Bureau today, and he said he would
continue talking to agriculture groups
about his governing principles regarding
agriculture.
“The voters deserve to know where the
candidates stand on these issues,”
Edmondson said. “It’s time to elect lead-
ers who will stand up for family farmers
– not the giant corporations that are tak-
ing over family farms across the country.
That’s the kind of governor I will be.”
 Poteau Daily News

Politics

Candidate airs
Mar
07
Family Farmers
2018 Bill of Rights
Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Drew Edmond-
Page son this week unveiled a “Family Farmers Bill of
Rights” offering what he called tangible solutions to
0006 protect Oklahoma’s tradition of agriculture in rural
Clip communities and its important role in the state’s econ-
omy.
resized “Agriculture is vital part of our economy,” Edmond-
35% son said. “Faced with competition from corporate mo-
nopolies and encroachment by foreign corporations,
our farmers and ranchers are struggling to preserve not
only a way of life they love but a critical piece of our
state’s economic prosperity. As governor, I will work
to protect our family farms and rural communities.”
Edmondson, who led efforts to stop State Question
777, a ballot measure sponsored by corporate agricul-
a ture in 2016, said he would continue working to level
the playing field for family farmers.
“Right now the deck is stacked in favor of wealthy
n multinational corporations,” Edmondson said. “The
- Family Farmers Bill of Rights is a set of key values
e that will help guide our regulatory agencies so we can
s preserve family farms for the next generation.”
d Edmondson laid out the components of his plan at a
- meeting of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and he said he
d would continue talking to agriculture groups about his
e governing principles regarding agriculture.
t The five key components for the Family Farmers
Bill of Rights include:
n
e 1. Right to Repair
- “It’s a no brainer that a farmer should be able to
s repair his or her own farming equipment, but corpo-
. rate entities are prohibiting their ability to do so,” Ed-
p mondson said. “In my first term, I’ll introduce the Fair
s Repair Act to require manufacturers to release repair
- information and to sell the spare parts necessary so
s farmers can make those repairs regardless of warranty
- language to the contrary.
-
2. Right to Transparent Labeling
- “Consumers want more information when it comes
n to their food sources,” Edmondson said. “For decades,
g producers have been required to include nutrition in-
r formation on their products. It’s time to add country
- of origin to the list of required information. People
f will trust meat and produce raised in Oklahoma and be
f more likely to purchase an Oklahoma product than one
4 that comes from China.”
.
t 3. Right to Rural Opportunity
- “The closure of rural hospitals and the proliferation
n of four-day school weeks are killing our small towns,”
e Edmondson said. “We can preserve our agricultural
e communities by protecting the communities they call
- home. I’ll continue to oppose forced school consolida-
l tion, and I have a real plan to address the budget woes
that are plaguing our health care system, our schools
and services for our veterans — not just in Oklahoma
City and Tulsa, but in rural parts of the state too.”

4. Right to Local Control of Our Land

“The best government is local government, but the
current administration has made a bad habit of passing
e
state laws that prohibit municipalities from protecting
-
the land and water within their borders. That practice
n
has to stop, and it will stop with me.”
t
5. Right to Protect Our Natural Resources
l
“We have to end corporate stacking of regulatory
-
entities in Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma Water
-
Resources Board and the Department of Agriculture.
For too long, big business has been able to self-regu-
late by placing representatives on these boards — the
very entities charged with protecting our natural
resources. We have to end this practice and guarantee
family farmers a seat at the table.”

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