Visit the OCA Facebook Page now through Jan. 31.  The photo with the most "likes" will win. Click here to vote.

The Oklahoma Legislature will convene on Monday, Feb. 3. OCA staff members Michael Kelsey and Jeff Jaronek have been hard at work researching bills, visiting with legislators and preparing for the fast-paced legislative session over the past few weeks. We want you to know that we are working diligently to protect your livelihood and your way of life. 

 
The picture above is a stack of the new bills for this session. And this is just the summary of the bills not the actual bills themselves! Michael and Jeff are reviewing each bill individually to determine what effect or influence it might have on OCA members. They are also categorizing the bills and will include those lists in future weekly emails for OCA members. If you have a question about a specific bill, please give Michael or Jeff a call.

Each year, during the second week of the legislative session, we take the Cattlemen's Leadership Academy group to the State Capitol for the day and we encourage them to wear their cowboy hats. Why? Because everyone knows that the cowboys have arrived! Taking the CLA group to capitol is a two-fold success. First, it's a great learning experience. Second, it makes Jeff and Michael a little more convincing when there are couple dozen cattlemen and women with them.

With that being said, it is our goal, to get more hats to the capitol. We are looking for several different county groups that are interested in coming to the Capitol for a day. Bring a pickup load or two of hats and boots to the Capitol and help OCA spread the good word of beef cattle production in Oklahoma. Walk the halls with Michael and Jeff or attend a committee meeting to see testimony on specific bills. We can help you set up specific visiting times with your legislators so they can talk with you about important issues. We expect our legislators to come to our cattlemen's meetings at home, let us show them the same courtesy by visiting them at the Capitol!! Please contact Michael or Jeff to arrange for a specific day to arrange for your boots and hats to come to the Capitol. 

We are going to try a new tracking method for this year's legislative session and want to share it with you.  In this section of our weekly email, you will find three different bill tracking choices. 

 

The first will include the "Whole Herd of Bills" that OCA staff has reviewed.  They are categorized for easier reference.  These lists will include every 'critter' that has been filed, within that particular category, no matter how far from the cow it may be.  

The second list is what we are calling "OCA Branded Bills".  This list will include all the bills that OCA staff has determined might have an impact on your business.  We will be watching these bills closely and working with their respective authors to shape them appropriate to OCA policy. 

The final list is what we are calling "Bills on the Grill".  This list will include 'Branded Bills' that are on the current week's agenda as well as bills that OCA staff may be actively working this week. 

 As you might guess, the "Bills on the Grill" list will change every week as the session progresses while the "Whole Herd" will change only when a bill becomes inactive or is signed off the Governor's desk.  We hope this method will help you track the bills that you have personal interest in as well as keep you informed of OCA's activities throughout the session.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Michael or Jeff.

The OCA Winter Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting and Luncheon is scheduled for February 11, 2014 at the Embassy Suites on Meridian Ave. in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the board meeting immediately following.  The luncheon will feature keynote speaker,  Mallery Gaines, Policy Analyst, Animal Health with the NCBA.

Be sure to RSVP by Feb. 6.  

Click here to submit your RSVP.

The National Western Livestock Show is a well known event to most folks in the cattle industry.  The New York Times interviewed a handful of cattlemen and published a story about today's Beef Industry.  It's a pretty good piece and the video link includes some familiar faces from the Chain Ranch near Canton, Okla.

Click here to read the story and view the video.

 OCA Southeast District Vice President, Mike Weeks presents Seminole County Cattlemen's members with a $1,120.00 rebate check.  Unified county organizations receive $20 from the OCA for each county member that is also a member of the OCA.