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Trump Taps Fallin, 3 Other Oklahomans For Agriculture Advisory Group

Gov. Mary Fallin, second from right, and her husband, Wade Christensen, second from left, greet Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, right, following a rally in Oklahoma City, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016.
Sue Ogrocki
/
Associated Press
Gov. Mary Fallin, second from right, and her husband, Wade Christensen, second from left, greet Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, right, following a rally in Oklahoma City, Friday, Feb. 26, 2016.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump named four Oklahomans to his newly created Agriculture Advisory Committee Tuesday. Gov. Mary Fallin is the highest profile Oklahoman on the panel.

“The Trump administration will work closely with farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers to ensure their issues and concerns are being addressed,” Fallin said in a statement.

The 64-member committee also includes state Agriculture Secretary Jim Resse, state Sen. Eddie Fields and state Rep. Casey Murdock.

“The members of my agricultural advisory committee represent the best that America can offer to help serve agricultural communities,” Trump said in a statement. “Many of these officials have been elected by their communities to solve the issues that impact our rural areas every day. I’m very proud to stand with these men and women, and look forward to serving those who serve all Americans from the White House.”

Reese also serves as Oklahoma's Commissioner of Agriculture, and is a member of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma A&M Colleges and the Commissioners of the Land Office. He's operated a farm in north-central Oklahoma since 1978.

Fields is a rancher by trade, and a past director of the Oklahoma Cattleman's Association. He's also the chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

Murdock's district includes all of the Oklahoma Panhandle. He's also a a farmer and rancher, and a supporter of State Question 777, the so-called right-to-farm ballot initiative voters will decide this fall. Murdock told KOCO’s Patty Santos he was surprised and excited by the announcement:

“Agriculture is Oklahoma’s second-largest industry, and to have a voice on national policy is very important for the state,” Murdock said. “We’re a small state. We don’t have a lot of votes, so the more voices we have influencing agriculture policy, the better it is for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers.”

Santos says the lawmakers on the panel told her Trump wasn’t their first choice during the primary process, but they plan to support him now that he’s the nominee.

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Brian Hardzinski is from Flower Mound, Texas and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He began his career at KGOU as a student intern, joining KGOU full time in 2009 as Operations and Public Service Announcement Director. He began regularly hosting Morning Edition in 2014, and became the station's first Digital News Editor in 2015-16. Brian’s work at KGOU has been honored by Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI), the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters, and local and regional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Brian enjoys competing in triathlons, distance running, playing tennis, and entertaining his rambunctious Boston Terrier, Bucky.
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