Poultry pushers behind AG bill

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - You won't find chicken tracks inside the state Capitol, but chickens - and the litter they produce - are at the heart of an attempt by some state lawmakers to restrict Attorney General Drew Edmondson's ability to file lawsuits on the state's behalf.

If the bill is successful, Edmondson - Oklahoma's top legal officer - would be the only attorney general in the nation without independent authority to file lawsuits, a policy the administrator of a national attorneys general group said would erode his authority and set a bad precedent.

"In terms of the office of attorney general and his role in state government, that is really a step backwards," said Lynne Ross, executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General.

Supporters said the legislation would provide oversight in how the attorney general conducts himself in the poultry case and other issues where his opinion may not reflect the beliefs of lawmakers and average citizens.

"It's an issue about who is going to set policy in the state of Oklahoma. The attorney general has said that he clearly believes that is his job," said Jeremy Rich, director of public policy for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Pryor Daily Times

3 March 2005