Governor Stitt Responds to Federal Judge Rejecting Poultry Settlement Agreements
Summary
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued a statement responding to a federal judge's rejection of proposed settlement agreements in a 20-year-old poultry lawsuit involving Eastern Oklahoma poultry growers. The Governor criticized the Attorney General's handling of the settlements and expressed concern that the ruling will harm poultry growers' livelihoods and impose significant remediation costs.
What changed
Governor Kevin Stitt issued a public statement responding to a federal judge's rejection of settlement agreements proposed by Attorney General Drummond in a long-standing poultry lawsuit. The statement criticizes the Attorney General's decision to pursue settlements after the court had already ruled on the case, and contends that the rejected agreements would have created an inconsistent regulatory landscape.
For Oklahoma poultry growers in Eastern Oklahoma, this development means continued uncertainty regarding the resolution of environmental remediation obligations tied to the decades-old litigation. Growers may face substantial compliance costs if the case proceeds to further court proceedings rather than settlement, though no immediate regulatory changes are imposed by this statement.
What to do next
- Monitor for updates on poultry settlement negotiations
Archived snapshot
Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Governor Stitt Responds to Federal Judge’s Rejection of Poultry Settlement Agreements
Tweet PRINT Email Wednesday, April 08, 2026 OKLAHOMA CITY (April 8, 2026) - Governor Kevin Stitt issued the following statement after a federal judge rejected proposed settlement agreements that Attorney General Drummond attempted to enter into after the judge decided the case.
“My heart goes out to the poultry growers in Eastern Oklahoma. The uncertainty they face is unimaginable, and it was preventable if Attorney General Drummond had simply withdrawn from this 20-year-old Democrat lawsuit,” said Governor Kevin Stitt.
After decades of litigation, the Attorney General left the economic fates of these poultry growers to the courts despite ample opportunity to settle in a manner that protects the environment and the growers’ livelihoods. After the court ruled, he rushed to settle in a way that would have created an unsustainable checkerboard of regulations. This ruling will harm the poultry growers’ ability to earn a living and will saddle them with millions of dollars of remediation costs.
Governor Stitt has long been an advocate of a settlement agreement that creates clarity for all growers.
Governor Stitt’s response to the first settlement agreement can be found here.
Governor Stitt’s November letter issued to the Attorney General is available here.
Governor Stitt received a letter in March of 2026 from the Oklahoma Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy and Environment concerning these proposed settlements.
Last Modified on Apr 09, 2026
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