Governor Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert joined poultry producers and Oklahoma Farm Bureau members to call for a settlement in a decades long lawsuit involving eastern Oklahoma poultry producers, corporate integrators, and the State of Oklahoma.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2005, centers on poultry litter practices and alleged impacts on water quality in eastern Oklahoma. Speaking to growers and ranchers, Stitt said the case has created years of uncertainty for family farms that have operated under state and federal permits.
“I want you to know that I am going to stand with our chicken producers over those big trial attorneys,” Stitt said, calling the litigation “all about money.”
Stitt criticized efforts by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond to revive and push the case toward trial, arguing that proposed settlement terms would effectively shut down poultry production across much of eastern Oklahoma. According to Stitt, one demand would ban poultry litter application throughout large watershed areas.
“Anybody with common sense knows that’s going to destroy not only farming in eastern Oklahoma, but hay farmers, cattle farmers, everything,” he said.
The governor emphasized that poultry producers have followed existing environmental permits for decades and warned against changing the rules retroactively. He compared the situation to a government official revoking a high school diploma decades after graduation and issuing fines for having relied on it.
Stitt also pointed to broader economic consequences, including impacts on schools and local tax bases, if poultry operations were forced out of the region. He said he has urged a common sense settlement that protects water quality while allowing agriculture to continue.
“This isn’t an either or,” Stitt said. “We can protect our water and we can protect our family farms.”
Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert echoed that message, telling attendees the issue extends beyond poultry growers alone.
“Yes, this is a poultry issue, but this is an Oklahoma agriculture issue,” Hilbert said, noting that crop producers and livestock operators statewide would also be affected by the outcome.
Hilbert pointed to recent legislation passed by the Oklahoma Legislature and signed by the governor that limits liability for producers who follow approved nutrient management plans. He said those laws were intended to show legislative support for the industry and reliance on science based practices.
“You all have done what you’ve been asked to do and you shouldn’t be punished for that,” Hilbert said, referencing improvements in water quality over time.
Hilbert also disclosed that he spoke with the attorney general shortly before the event and was told a settlement with one poultry integrator could be reached soon, though no details were provided.
Both Stitt and Hilbert encouraged producers to continue speaking out and engaging with state leaders as negotiations continue, stressing that political pressure from the agricultural community has drawn increased attention to the case.
You can watch Stitt and Hilbert’s speeches below.
