State capitol to be site of Water Lobby day

Wednesday is Water Lobby Day at the State Capitol as environmentalists gather to not only learn about the state’s water problems but educate legislators about them.

The Oklahoma Chapter of the Sierra Club, Oklahomans for Responsible Water Policy, Green Country Spring Creek Guardians and STIR (Save the Illinois River) are sponsoring the event that includes opening remarks at 10 a.m. from former Attorney General Drew Edmondson. He is also a former Democratic candidate for governor who lost the election last fall to Republican Kevin Stitt.

The speeches and lobby day will be in the 1st Floor Rotunda of the capitol. Other speakers include Delaware county community organizer Pam Kingfisher who is known for leading opposition to expanded poultry operations in Northeastern Oklahoma and Ponca Tribe Councilwoman Casey Camp-Horinek.

From 10:30 a.m. until noon, the Oklahoma Chapter of Sierra Club will hold a training session on “How to Lobby Your State Legislators,” along with briefings on Oklahoma’s most serious water problems and specific water-focused legislation being considered during the 2019 Oklahoma Legislative Session.

Though not open to the general public, two additional events will take place during Oklahoma Water Lobby Day. A noon luncheon for legislators will feature University of Tulsa College of Law Professor Gary Allison, who will deliver a presentation titled “Oklahoma Water Rights: What Good are They?”  And Oklahoma Water Lobby Day will culminate with a meeting between Governor Stitt and a small delegation of Oklahoma environmental community leaders, all of whom are fighting to clean up and protect Oklahoma’s most precious natural resource.

A press conference is set for 3:30 p.m. in the State Capitol Media Room, where Oklahoma environmental leaders will address current water legislation and an overview of their meeting with Governor Kevin Stitt.