Flagstaffsooner
6/25/2006, 01:20 AM
Wild turkey achieves official status
By Michael McNutt
The wild turkey's status as Oklahoma's official game bird is legitimate. Finally.
Legislators passed a measure on the last day of this year's regular session designating the bird as the state's game bird.
The action corrects an oversight made 16 years ago when lawmakers thought they gave the wild turkey that distinction.
Everyone else followed the legislators' lead, and soon the wild turkey was named in the state's official almanac and other publications as the state's game bird.
In a session that ran from Aug. 14, 1989, to May 2, 1990, a resolution was introduced proclaiming the wild turkey as the game bird; it passed the Senate, but was held up in the House and never considered.
Secretary of State Susan Savage said her office discovered the oversight earlier this year.
Language proclaiming the wild turkey as the state's game bird was included in Senate Bill 1613.
Savage said she thought the measure would pass swiftly, but it got hung up as legislators asked questions about why the wild turkey was selected.
"It took a lot of work to get this passed," she said. "I even asked, 'Can we just grandfather him in? He's already there in the books.' And I got a few frowns."
Gov. Brad Henry signed the measure earlier this month; the measure took effect immediately.
Savage said it's important to get the wild turkey's designation straight. "We're telling children that it is and it's in our state almanac and it really isn't," she said. "It was our quest to restore the turkey with the rest of the emblems to his rightful stature."
By Michael McNutt
The wild turkey's status as Oklahoma's official game bird is legitimate. Finally.
Legislators passed a measure on the last day of this year's regular session designating the bird as the state's game bird.
The action corrects an oversight made 16 years ago when lawmakers thought they gave the wild turkey that distinction.
Everyone else followed the legislators' lead, and soon the wild turkey was named in the state's official almanac and other publications as the state's game bird.
In a session that ran from Aug. 14, 1989, to May 2, 1990, a resolution was introduced proclaiming the wild turkey as the game bird; it passed the Senate, but was held up in the House and never considered.
Secretary of State Susan Savage said her office discovered the oversight earlier this year.
Language proclaiming the wild turkey as the state's game bird was included in Senate Bill 1613.
Savage said she thought the measure would pass swiftly, but it got hung up as legislators asked questions about why the wild turkey was selected.
"It took a lot of work to get this passed," she said. "I even asked, 'Can we just grandfather him in? He's already there in the books.' And I got a few frowns."
Gov. Brad Henry signed the measure earlier this month; the measure took effect immediately.
Savage said it's important to get the wild turkey's designation straight. "We're telling children that it is and it's in our state almanac and it really isn't," she said. "It was our quest to restore the turkey with the rest of the emblems to his rightful stature."