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TOP HEADLINES
Indian tribes, Oklahoma reach deal on water rights dispute:
Negotiators for two Indian tribes and the state of Oklahoma said Wednesday they have reached a settlement that would end a modern-day water rights and tribal sovereignty dispute that has its roots in the 19th century [AP].
Deal for water from Sardis Lake may be reached:
Leaders of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, the city of Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma have called a news conference Thursday to announce terms of a settlement they have negotiated to resolve a long-standing dispute over water rights in southeastern and south-central Oklahoma [NewsOK].
Rulings ensure a raft of state questions await Oklahoma voters:
A lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of SQ 777 on several grounds and sought to get it removed from the ballot, but the state Supreme Court on Monday upheld a lower court’s ruling in May that rejected those arguments. The high court agreed that the people should have a chance to vote on it first [The Oklahoman].
STATE
Time to stop the excessive flow of federal regulations (editorial):
A new study by the American Action Forum puts at 600 the number of “major” rules promulgated by the administration. By “major,” we mean a rule that imposes costs of more than $100 million [The Oklahoman].
Lagging sales tax collections blamed for 11 percent drop in state revenue for July:
Funding for state government continued spiraling downward in July as weak sales tax collections in the first month of the state’s 2017 fiscal year dragged general revenue collections 4.4 percent below expectations and 11.1 percent below the same month a year ago [Tulsa World].
Lawmaker calls for study of ‘unconstitutional legislation’:
Floyd wants to make the government work better, which is why she requested an interim study on “monetary and nonmonetary ramifications of filing unconstitutional legislation” [KFOR].
MISCELLANEOUS
Farmers, scientists seek common ground on going green:
Scientists view cover crops as a not-so-secret weapon in the fight to cut farm pollution and boost soil health. But it’s been a challenge convincing farmers the benefits outweigh the risks [Minnesota Public Radio].
Agriculture faces increasing competition for limited water resources:
It’s hard to grasp the importance of managing water in areas where it seems so abundant. More than 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, though little is ever in the right place, in the right form, at the right time [AFBF].
Oklahoma Farm Bureau gears up for August Area Meetings:
The 2016 August area meetings are fast approaching for Oklahoma Farm Bureau, where discussions over several hot button issues relevant to the state’s agriculture community will be taking place [Oklahoma Farm Report].
