Published: August 22, 2008 11:53 am      

Farmers speak out against regulations

Oklahoma City — (AP) — Officials speaking at a forum at the state Capitol say federal truck weight regulations are hurting Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, and for no good reason.

Under federal regulations, farm vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds can be deemed to be a commercial vehicle once they cross state lines, subjecting farmers to heavy fines and other penalties.

The rules can require farmers to obtain a commercial driver’s license and be subjected to drug and alcohol testing and other regulations required of longhaul drivers of large tractor-trailer rigs.

U.S. Reps. Mary Fallin, R-Okla., and Dan Boren, D-Okla., arranged the forum because they want to change the rules with legislation raising the limit to 26,001 pounds, the amount allowed for farm vehicles to travel within the state.

State Highway Director Gary Ridley and Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials testified that the change would not negatively affect the safety of state roads and bridge.

Mike Spradling, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, said the regulations create “an impossible roadblock” for Oklahoma farmers seeking to get their products to market in surrounding states.

Spradling, a pecan farmer and cattleman from Sand Springs, said some states, such as Texas, seem eager to enforce what he considers an unreasonable restriction, which puts a farmer in violation for driving a pickup and a relatively small trailer into some areas.

When farmers take their products into Texas, he said, “It seems like the state troopers are sitting there waiting for them.”

Boren said the idea of the legislation was developed after a rancher complained at a town hall meeting in Miami of facing heavy fines because of the federal rules.

A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republicans.

Boren said the current regulations do “nothing to protect the safety of our roads” while penalizing farmers and ranchers.

Fallin and Boren said it may be too late to get Congress to pass their legislation this year, but it could be attached to the highway funding bill in 2009.

Fallin is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.