When the new legislative session opens in Oklahoma City next week, two bills opposing Agenda 21 will be presented in the state senate. SB23 by State Senator Patrick Anderson and SB53 by State Senator Dahm will make it illegal for state and local governments to accept or give money to any organization that is defined in the United Nations’ Agenda 21.
Agenda 21 is a policy presented by the UN to promote “sustainable development” throughout the world. A UN report written in 1987 defines sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The goal of this policy is to evaluate each individual person’s impact on the environment and integrate the individual into collective decision making at every level of society.
The language in the legislation presented by senators Anderson and Dahm is borrowed from legislation that passed in Alabama during their last legislative session. These bills prohibit state and political subdivisions from implementing Agenda 21 policies regarding private property that would infringe or restrict private property rights without due process. The bills would also prohibit state and political subdivisions from entering into agreements, spend money, receive funds, contract services, or give financial aid to organizations defined in Agenda 21.
Political subdivisions are any government agency within the state of Oklahoma: city, county, or state. One specific Agenda 21 organization that has been working in the state of Oklahoma is the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Several Oklahoma cities and counties are members of this organization. This legislation would prohibit these government agencies from having any more to do with it.
To contact state legislators regarding these bills and other legislation coming up this session go to http://www.oklegislature.gov/index.aspx . It is difficult to find primary source data on Agenda 21 because links to the document, Agenda 21: The Earth Summit Strategy to Save Our Planet, have been severed, and the document itself is out of print.
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