From private property rights to rural health care, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are committed to affecting ideas through our grassroots policy development process that will ensure agriculture and rural Oklahoma continue to thrive for decades to come.
2021 Priority Issues
Below are the organization’s priority policies as voted on by members and the OKFB board of directors.
Rural Infrastructure
- We support expanded high-speed internet and wireless phone service in rural areas of the state.
- We support increased access to quality and affordable health care for rural Oklahomans.
- We support funding for improved maintenance to roads and bridges in rural Oklahoma.
Landowner Advocacy
- We oppose new or increased ad valorem taxes.
- We support all ad valorem elections requiring a 60% vote threshold for approval.
- We support stricter requirements for municipalities to provide city services in annexed territory.
- We strongly oppose all forms of county zoning authority.
Livestock & Crop Production
- We support the existing agricultural sales tax exemption.
- We support aggressive measures to control feral hogs, black vultures, white-tailed deer, Canada geese and other costly nuisance animals.
Governance
- We support working cooperatively with state, federal and tribal leaders to address the governance issues created by the McGirt Supreme Court decision.
Cooperative Extension Service
- We support funding for county extension offices in order to prevent consolidation and maintain at least one educator and one assistant in every county office, with a high priority on the 4-H youth program.
Issues
Learn about some of the leading issues on the minds of OKFB members below.
Private property rights are fundamental to every American, especially the farmer, allowing agriculturalists to produce a high quality, affordable and dependable food supply of which we can all be proud.
One of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s longstanding policy priorities, the state agriculture sales tax exemption was secured by OKFB in 1978 after decades of grassroots legislative efforts.
Read more about our position on the agriculture sales tax exemption.
Farmers and ranchers, whose livelihoods require large amounts of land and equipment, are proud to support their local communities as some of the largest ad valorem tax payers. But when it comes to making a profit, even slight property tax increases can drastically impact bottom lines on farms and ranches.
The quality of life available for farmers and ranchers who live in rural Oklahoma plays a large role in the overall success of Oklahoma agriculture. That’s why OKFB members are committed to improving rural health care throughout the state.
Today, the average modern farmer produces enough food to feed 165 people compared to only 26 in the 1960s. The vast expansion of efficiency and productivity of American farmers and ranchers is thanks in large part to advancements in technology. But this technology would not be possible without funding for cutting-edge agricultural research and extension programs.
Feral swine, also known as feral hogs, are an invasive species plaguing farms and ranches in nearly all 77 Oklahoma counties. The animals reproduce rapidly, carry infectious and parasitic diseases, and cause extensive damage to crops, livestock, fences and equipment.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau members are passionate about ensuring quality and successful education in rural areas. As farm and ranch families who have been in agriculture for generations, passing down the farm to the next generation is vital. But maintaining quality education systems in rural areas is critical to ensuring the next generation returns to rural Oklahoma.
