SECTION 795:1-1-4. Commission membership

(a)   With the exception of the ex-officio members, the Governor shall appoint a Commission to be known as the Oklahoma Wheat Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission who shall advise and direct the Director of the Wheat Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission.

(b)   The Commission shall be composed of five (5) members who:

(1)   Are at least twenty-five (25) years of age and a resident of Oklahoma.

(2)   Have been actually engaged in growing wheat in this state for a period of at least five (5) years; and;

(3)   Derive a substantial portion of their income from growing wheat.

(c)   The five members of the Commission, referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, shall be residents of and have farming operations in those areas of the state designated as Districts I through V, one from each District.

(1)   District I, consisting of Alfalfa, Garfield Grant and Major counties.

(2)   District II, consisting of Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Harper, Texas, Woods, and Woodward counties.

(3)   District III, consisting of Beckham, Blaine, Canadian, Custer, Dewey, Kingfisher, Roger Mills, and Washita counties.

(4)   District IV, consisting of Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, and Tillman counties.

(5)   District V, consisting of all counties east of the western boundary lines of Kay, Noble, Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, Grady, Stephens and Jefferson counties.

(d)   The Governor shall appoint one member of the Commission for each of the districts established in subsection (c) of this section from lists of three nominees for each of said five (5) Districts as selected by the wheat producers of each District in meetings called by the Oklahoma Wheat Utilization, Research and Market Development Commission. All producers who have paid a fee and left it with the Commission during the current year, shall be eligible to vote in said meetings for their respective Districts; provided however, that all wheat producers in the state as defined in 795:1-1-3 shall be eligible to vote in the selection of nominees for the initial appointments to the Commission. It shall be the responsibility of the producer to prove his eligibility to vote.

(e)   Ex-officio, non-voting members of the Commission referred to in subsection (a) of this section shall be the President of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture and the Director of the State Extension Service.

(f)   As the terms of office of such appointees expire, their successors shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of five (5) years as provided in subsection (d) of this section. Each member shall hold office until his successor is appointed and has qualified. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of a term of a member separated from the Commission for any cause shall be appointed for the remainder of the term-of the member whose office has been vacated.

(g)   If a vacancy occurs prior to the end of a term, the vacancy shall be filled pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.

[Source: Amended at 30 Ok Reg 1487, eff 7-1-13]