\u201cI wanted to take a moment to cheer you on from the sidelines,” Stitt told OGC members in his video, after apologizing that he could not attend the group\u2019s AGM in person.<\/p>\n
You all know Oklahoma\u2019s long and storied history with gamefowl, from statehood to today,”<\/strong> he continued. “We need to protect the nearly 5,000 gamefowl farmers across Oklahoma and lift up our rural and municipal economies. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in the next legislative session.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe OGC has donated more than $70K to Oklahoma lawmakers, including $2K to Stitt himself, according to The Oklahoman.<\/em><\/p>\nThe organization boasts on its website that it managed to work with the legislature to get four bills introduced and passed by committee last year, although none ultimately became law.<\/p>\n
\u2018Backwards, Embarrassing\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nFormer Republican Gov. Frank Keating, whose administration oversaw the 2002 ban, described cockfighting as \u201ccruel and backward\u201d in a statement this week, adding that Stitt\u2019s behavior was \u201cembarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is an embarrassment to me that any elected official seeks to turn back the clock on this morally settled issue,\u201d<\/strong> Keating said. \u201cTalk of decriminalizing cockfighting is toxic to the idea of economic development and forward progress for our great state.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFormer Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson complained that Stitt was associating himself with lawlessness, which was \u201cnot a proper role for any statewide elected official.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stitt Denial<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhile state residents voted to ban the blood sport by a slim 52% majority at the 2002 referendum, the ban was delayed by legal challenges. It eventually came into effect in 2004 after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled 7-0 that it was constitutional. The OGC has maintained a consistent lobbying presence ever since, The Oklahoman<\/em> reports.<\/p>\nA spokesperson for the Governor\u2019s Office, Abegail Cave, denied that Stitt supports animal cruelty. Instead, he backs \u201cOklahoma agriculture,\u201d she said.<\/strong><\/p>\nStitt had \u201cnot seen or endorsed any legislation on this topic [of cockfighting],” she added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oklahoma\u2019s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is facing censure from animal rights groups — and raised eyebrows from political opponents — after posting a video shoutout to the state\u2019s illegal cockfighting industry. Incredibly, Stitt has made a short video in support of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission (OGC), a group that advocates for the reduction of penalties […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":299666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[82968,61,84511],"tags":[81962,83443,88835],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Oklahoma Gov. Stitt\u2019s 'Support' for Cockfighting Not OK: Critics<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n