Oklahoma Lawmakers Advance Bills on Food Dyes and Lab-Grown Meat
Oklahoma lawmakers heard several agriculture bills in committees this week.
Senate Bill 4 bans 21 dyes and other ingredients from food products by 2027 and for ingestible medications by 2028.
In the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee, lawmakers had questions about government regulation, prices, the food industry and food insecurity.
Republican Sen. Kristen Thompson of Edmond wrote the measure and says this is a nationwide movement.
“This is our first swing at this and it’s a big one. It is a big one. This is the most robust list in the country and I wanted it that way," Thompson said.
The bill passed out of committee on a 10-1 vote and goes to the full senate.
Another measure, House Bill 2829, bans the manufacturing, selling and distribution of lab-grown meat. The bill does allow certain entities to research the production of cell-cultivated products.
The bill passed its oversight committee with an 11-2 vote and can now be heard on the House floor.
Removal of Osage County Wind Farm Paused
A decade-long legal battle over an Osage County wind farm has taken another turn.
A removal order for the wind power company Enel to clear 84 turbines from Osage County is on pause.
Following a 10-year legal fight between the Osage Minerals Council and the company, a federal judge ordered the removal last year.
The judge ruled the developers trespassed, excavating land without the proper permits.
He ordered them to pay millions in damages and remove the turbines by the end of this year.
But now the battle will continue with the removal pause.
Enel has two weeks to post a $10 million bond and will be given more time to appeal the removal decision.
Tribal Nation Leaders Seeking To Protect Land
Some tribal nation leaders in Oklahoma are sounding the alarm about actions by the Trump administration that could chip away at Indigenous sovereignty.
At an Oklahoma State University summit, some tribal leaders expressed concern about the new Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency and the impact they could have on tribes and their land.
Rocky Barrett is the Chairman of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Shawnee. He points out that the federal government holds Indigenous land in what is known as an equitable trust.
“The difference between an equitable trust and a legal trust is the fact that the federal government could, at will, take our assets, even though there have been, you know, we've had 38 treaties,” Barrett said.
Barrett said that’s why his tribe is putting more effort into developing assets not “subject to the whims of an administration that may or may not adhere to the agreement they have.”
AAA Predicts Busy, Costly Spring Travel Season
Triple A expects this year's Spring Break travel season to be busy and more expensive than last year.
AAA says domestic airfare has increased by 7% and international airfare up 2% with hotel costs increasing by 8%.
Higher prices don’t appear to be stopping travelers as Will Rogers International Airport prepares to see increased traffic next Thursday and Friday.
Airport Spokeswoman Stacey Hamm said TSA and the airlines are fully staffed and ready for the crowds.
"You definitely want to be here two hours before. That gives you plenty of time to find your parking, to get through your airline check in and to get through the security checkpoint," Hamm said.
Travelers looking to save money should consider driving to their destination as gas prices are down 27 cents since last spring break.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU AM NewsBrief.