Cowboys in the Capitol

Agriculture Students Selected for Legislative Internship

The three Ferguson College of Agriculture students selected as Ag Legislative Interns will continue to serve in the Oklahoma Capitol for the next three months.

Allison Wilton, an agribusiness senior, Karlee Belle Gholson, an agribusiness and accounting junior, and Mark Scalmanini, an agricultural communications junior, are set to serve alongside a respective Oklahoma congressperson until the legislative session ends in May.

For these interns, agricultural policy has a personal significance, Wilton said.

“I have seen firsthand how regulations, laws and policies impact the everyday life of agriculturalists,” Wilton said. “I’ve seen how they impact our next-door neighbors. I have seen countless people affected by policies.”

The interns are housed in three separate offices in the Capitol, Scalmanini said. Wilton serves with Sen. Casey Murdock, Senate Committee on Agriculture and Wildlife chairman. Scalmanini serves with Rep. Dell Kerbs, House Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development chairman. Gholson works in the office of Rep. Kyle Hilbert, Rural Caucus chairman. Gholson said she also works with Jami Longacre, an agricultural lobbyist.

Wilton, who grew up on a cattle ranch near Fort Sumner, New Mexico, said title and glamor have nothing to do with this internship. She said her priority is easing the regulatory burden on farmers and ranchers, which she plans to do by “building bridges” between producers and legislators. In her words, “That is politics.”

“In the future, if I get one legislator who has learned something new in favor of agriculture,” Wilton said, “I’ll consider my job well done.”

Since the interns work full-time at the capitol, they have drastically reduced their coursework for the spring semester, Gholson said. However, the slow-down in schoolwork is not a setback, Gholson said.

“I am right on track for where I am supposed to be,” Gholson said. “I am really thankful to have this opportunity whether it puts me behind in school or not.”

Gholson, who is the fourth generation in her family to work for the Pitchfork Ranch, said her passion for agricultural policy was spurred by dinnertime conversations with her family.

“It has been instilled in me since the beginning,” Gholson said. “I hope to one day turn around and impact an industry I know has a direct reflection upon my life and my family.”

Gholson said understanding the political process is important to her because agriculture is a big asset to her small town. Even if agricultural issues don’t directly affect her family they do affect the surrounding community, Gholson said, and the best way to be heard is to build relationships on Capitol Hill.

“The senators aren’t here for themselves,” Gholson said. “They are here for the people of Oklahoma. Let them know your concerns and hear your voice. They do care.”

As he spends more time at the capitol, Scalmanini said people begin to recognize him and associate him with OSU.

“Serving as an OSU Ag Legislative Intern has really helped me form an identity,” Scalmanini said. “OSU has a connection with people at the capitol and we want to leave that long-lasting relationship.”

OSU Ag Legislative Interns have a reputation to uphold, Gholson said.

“They expect a lot out of us and they expect us to do our job well,” Gholson said. “They knew we were fully capable and they put their full trust into us.”

Wilton, who has previously interned with both the American Farm Bureau Federation and New Mexico congressman Steve Pearce, said the Ag Legislative Internship is even more hands-on than her previous experiences.

“It is more doing research for the congressman,” Wilton said. “He’s very encouraging of me forming my own opinions on bills and then voicing them.”

Researching bills requires more than simply reading the text, Wilton said. Legislators also need to be aware of the unintended consequences a bill can have, she added.

“Being able to read between the lines is the language of politics,” Wilton said. “It is the job of senators and lobbyists to share that information and work toward gaining an understanding.”

Agricultural producers also need to learn the language of politics, Gholson said. If possible, she said her plan is to help them.

“It has always been my dream,” Gholson said. “That sounds so dramatic, but it’s something I want to give back. If I can influence and impact an industry that means so much to me, I’m going to do it.”

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Article by Wade Yoder for OSU coursework.