Does James Lankford know more about Oklahoma law than our own legislature?
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About two weeks ago, a leftist ice cream company from Vermont announced their non-renewal of a distribution contract with an Israeli food distributor. It's a move intended to pressure the nation to give Jerusalem (their capitol city) over to the Palestinians.
Now Oklahoma's junior U.S. senator, James Lankford; wants our state government to enforce a ban on the sale of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in Oklahoma. But It appears Lankford is advocating an illegal act of state oppression. It appears that Lankford misunderstands a bill passed in Oklahoma in May of 2020 that declared Israel “a prominent trading partner of the State of Oklahoma” and “that the state, and those companies that do business by and through the state, in the interest of the state’s economic policy, should not boycott trade with Israel.” Here's his tweet. |
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It's always a bit ironic when a person scolds others publicly for thinking they know more than they really.
But that's what Lankford did to the the company who ships ice cream around the world. Lankford doesn't claim to know the ice cream business, but he does claim to know lawmaking. Unfortunately for Lankford, Veteran Lawmaker, Mark McBride had to school the US senator on his home state's statutory code and the limits of Oklahoma govt. to interfere with commerce. |
Rep. Mark McBride (R-Moore)
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The bill also asserts that the state should not adopt any policy that aims at inducing or requiring a person to boycott the government of Israel nor a person doing business in Israel or territories under its jurisdiction if the boycott is on the basis of such person’s location in such areas.
However, state Rep. Mark McBride, one of the main proponents of the bill, clarified that the law only applies to the state of Oklahoma and who it does business with.
“If Ben & Jerry’s was a vendor [of the state], then we would not do business, but they are not a vendor of Oklahoma.” McBride said to The Hill, adding that he personally will no longer be purchasing from the brand.
This report contains excerpts from The Hill Magazine.
