Governor Kevin Stitt criticized the recent judgment in State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., and urged Attorney General Gentner Drummond to request a stay in the case, noting the severe consequences of the chicken litter plan will have for family farms across the state. He denounced the judgment that requires Tyson, Cargill, George’s, Simmons, and Cal-Maine to fund decades of cleanup and comply with strict new limits on how poultry waste can be used.
“These family farmers did everything the right way. They got the permit, followed the rules, and they’re still getting sued,” Governor Kevin Stitt said. “If you can do exactly what the state requires and still end up in court, what are you supposed to do? This isn’t about chicken litter or clean water anymore — that’s what the Legislature is for. Laws should be made in the open, not forced on families through lawsuits.”
Under the judgment, the court adopted Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s deeply misguided proposal that punishes producers. As a result, poultry companies and the farmers who raise birds under contract will be bound to decades of oversight by a court-appointed Special Master. This will fundamentally change how litter is managed and applied.
The court is stripping family farmers of critical property rights by taking away their ability to sell their own chicken litter as fertilizer. This will cut off a long‑standing source of income for Oklahoma operations.
“This judgment reflects Attorney General Drummond’s own design. The court adopted his proposal for a Special Master – an unaccountable, court-run shadow regulatory agency – and embraced a unworkable plan that effectively bans its use for generations to come,” said Governor Stitt. “Attorney General Drummond had three years to show up, engage, and negotiate a responsible settlement. Instead, this judgment delivers a direct punishment to producers by stripping them of ownership of their litter as a lawful source of revenue.
I will not stop fighting for Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers. A reasonable settlement was possible, one that protected our natural resources while preserving our domestic and regional food supply. This judgment is not that solution. If Attorney General Drummond is truly interested in a settlement, he should immediately request that Judge Gregory Frizzell issue a stay and bring the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Energy and Environment to the table for meaningful negotiations.”
Last week, Governor Stitt traveled to Adair County, where he met with more than 300 poultry producers and community members to hear directly about how the case is affecting their livelihoods. One poultry farmer, Megan Langley, underscored the human cost.
“When these companies get tired of fighting with the State of Oklahoma and decide it’s not worth it anymore, you’re not destroying a large corporation – you’re destroying a family like mine,” Langley said.
“This judgment doesn’t just hit poultry producers,” Governor Kevin Stitt said. “It threatens cattle ranchers, grain farmers, and the entire agricultural economy that feeds Oklahoma and the nation.”
