Senators in an Oklahoma Senate committee hearing on an array of agriculture, conservation and wildlife measures advanced most bills on the agenda, with several contentious exchanges over raw‑milk limits, liability for homemade goods, livestock gate rules and how to regulate commercial hunting guides.

Senate Bill 940, presented by Senator Yek, was passed unanimously by the committee. Yek described SB 940 as “a follow‑up on an interim study” tied to the Terry Peach Water Restoration Act and said the bill requires seven state agencies to report to the Conservation Commission on how they are handling invasive woody species.

The committee also passed Senate Bill 939, a measure sponsored by Senator Fricks that would broaden the ability of producers to sell homemade and farm products. Fricks said the bill “allows our producers, our farmers, our ranchers, our folks that make homemade goods, to sell.” The bill includes labeling for an “informed end consumer” and raises the permitted quantity of raw milk that may be sold and transported from 100 gallons to 500 gallons, language Fricks said came from the Department of Agriculture.

Raw‑milk language drew extended questioning. A witness identified in the hearing as “Doctor. Grelner” said he had no personal problems with raw milk and described clinical uses he believes exist for raw milk; the committee discussed public‑health tracking via the Oklahoma State Department of Health and whether the bill’s expanded limit and changes to testing and reporting create public‑health risk.

Senate Bill 1070, dubbed in testimony as “Kenny’s Law,” which would have required gates in livestock enclosures to remain closed except during ingress or egress, failed in committee after debate over scope and liability. The author, Senator Woods, said the bill was a constituent request intended to “mitigate civil liability” for landowners whose cattle get out, but several senators said the bill’s text—particularly the language covering “all gates” and the potential $1,000 fine—was too broad and could implicate routine grazing or private practices. The committee recorded 5 ayes and 7 nays on that measure.

Senate Bill 208, a licensing and oversight bill for hunting guides introduced by Senator Kerr to address complaints about out‑of‑state guides, was laid over until next week for additional work. Nels Rodefeld, assistant director for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), testified that the department’s licensing database can flag applicants convicted of relevant offenses and that penalties and fees were under discussion; the committee asked for more detail on costs and the proposed CPR and insurance requirements.

The committee passed several additional measures with less debate. A change to the statutory definition of “conservation” (referred to in the hearing as Senate Bill 107) passed 12‑0; a bill creating a limited special permit program and raffle for a small number of mountain‑lion permits (Senate Bill 1073) passed amid discussion of biological tracking and depredation reporting, with ODWC testifying there have been “81 confirmed reports” since 2002 and “13 mountain lions killed or captured” in the state; and Senate Bill 1082, which directs the Department of Agriculture to provide an online renewal and payment platform for shelters and commercial breeders and extends a renewal window, passed 12‑0.

Votes at a glance

• SB 940 (invasive woody species reporting): Committee do‑pass; tally 11 ayes, 0 nays.

• SB 939 (homemade and farm products; raw milk limits): Committee do‑pass; tally 10 ayes, 2 nays. Key provisions increase raw milk transport/sale cap from 100 to 500 gallons, add labeling and an ‘‘informed end consumer’’ concept, and address testing/reporting cadence.

• SB 1070 (livestock gate requirement / “Kenny’s Law”): Failed in committee; tally 5 ayes, 7 nays. Debate focused on whether the bill’s text (covering “all gates”) is overly broad and on civil‑liability impacts for private property owners.

• SB 208 (hunting‑guide licensing): Laid over for further work. Committee requested more information on checks and balances, cost/fee impacts, CPR and insurance requirements, resident vs. nonresident fees, and the number of guides affected.

• SB 107 (conservation statutory language expansion): Passed in committee; tally 12 ayes, 0 nays. Adds “management” and “restoration and rehabilitation” to conservation definitions and notes public‑benefit and social/economic utilization.

• SB 1073 (special permits / mountain‑lion controlled hunt raffle): Passed in committee; tally 10 ayes, 2 nays. ODWC said the department has data on confirmed mountain‑lion reports and depredations and that raffle proceeds would be used for a charity to be determined.

• SB 1082 (online renewals for shelters and commercial breeders): Passed in committee; tally 12 ayes, 0 nays. The bill also extends a late renewal window from 60 to 90 days.

Why it matters

The package touches several areas with direct public impact: invasive species management that affects lands and waters; consumer and public‑health questions around unregulated homemade foods and raw milk; liability and public‑safety concerns where livestock and roadways intersect; and wildlife management tools including limited special permits and guide licensing that affect hunting access, conservation funding and enforcement.

What’s next

Several authors indicated they will work with colleagues and state agencies to clarify language and costs before further committee action. SB 208 was explicitly laid over for more information; sponsors of the livestock‑gate and homemade‑product bills said they will refine language to address concerns raised in committee.

Quotes from the hearing

“Senate Bill 940 is a follow‑up on an interim study … this is regarding invasive woody species,” Senator Yek said while presenting SB 940.

“This allows our producers, our farmers, our ranchers, our folks that make homemade goods, to sell,” Senator Fricks said while presenting SB 939.

“Raw milk, we prescribe raw milk now for kids with eczema … I have no, I’ve had no problems with raw milk,” a witness identified as Doctor Grelner said during discussion of raw‑milk provisions.

“Our lisonbee system is a pretty robust database. It will flag, for example, a license holder who has received and been convicted of certain violation,” Nels Rodefeld, assistant director, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, told senators while discussing SB 208 and guide licensing.

Ending

Authors and agency representatives will return with requested clarifications on testing and reporting requirements, fee and insurance estimates, and narrower drafting on liability and gate language. SB 208 has been laid over; other measures will move forward in the legislative process as the sponsors refine language based on committee feedback.