Oklahoma Farm Report: Congressman Frank Lucas Laying Claim to House Ag Committee Chairmanship is Oklahoma Farm News Story of the Year

The story of the night of November second could also legitimately claim to be the story of the year for Oklahoma agriculture- as that first Tuesday in November saw Oklahoma lay claim to having it's first Chairman of the House Ag Committee ever. Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas has been the ranking minority member of the House Ag Committee in 2009 and 2010, serving under Demcratic Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota. However, with the Republicans seizing control of the US House in the midterm elections, those roles will be reversed in 2011 and 2012. Here's our story that we had on that historic evening for Oklahoma agriculture, putting Frank Lucas in the role as a key player in the writing of the 2012 Farm Bill.

In a night that can be considered historic nationally because of the Republicans capturing the majority in the US House, history is also being made as the likely next Chairman of the House Ag Committee will come from Oklahoma for the first time ever.

Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas easily won reelection in the third district of Oklahoma- which covers almost half of the total land mass of Oklahoma- and is in line to take that position from current Chairman Collin Peterson, who will become the ranking minority member of the Committee, if he chooses to stay in a leadership role on the Committee.

The expectation that Congressman Lucas will step into this major role was called the "story of the night" by Tyler Norvell, who lobbies for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Norvell and other farm leaders in Oklahoma are very excited about this new high profile role for the Roger Mills County rancher.

Lucas himself expressed excitement about the opportunity to be the Chairman- and looks forward to helping shape the next farm bill to be written in either 2011 or 2012. Lucas says that there will be fewer dollars to work with- but pledges that he will work hard to protect the interests of farmers as this bill is developed.

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