"Soylent Green is people!"
The legislation, HB 3660, seeks to include so-called "natural organic reduction" (NOR), a common euphemism for human composting, "as a form of cremation" under state law. Oklahoma's lower chamber passed the bill 59-37, with both Republicans and Democrats voting in favor, prompting a harsh rebuke from one of the GOP lawmakers who opposes the legislation.
He signed the 'Agriposting' release and it's his time.
"Today the House advanced HB3660, a bill to legalize the use of composted human bodies as fertilizer. If this bill is put into law, Oklahoma joins 14 BLUE states that have legalized this process," Republican Oklahoma State Rep. Jim Shaw wrote in a Tuesday X post. "So, instead of outlawing this type of practice outright, we're on track to take the use of humanure as fertilizer another disgusting step forward."
The bill is sponsored by Republican Oklahoma State Rep. Eddy Dempsey and Republican Oklahoma State Sen. Casey Murdock, both of whom are farmers representing largely rural districts. A majority of GOP representatives — 43 of 81 — voted for the bill, while 36 Republicans and only one Democrat, State Rep. Mickey Dollens, voted against it. Republican Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert notably supported the bill.
Shaw, who also represents a rural area, shared a video on social media showing his confrontation with Dempsey on the State House floor. Shaw told the DCNF that the exchange took place Tuesday morning before the vote.
"I just gotta ask, do you really believe that human remains, or even my favorite subject, human poop, are okay as compost or fertilizer? Do you really believe that?" Shaw asked the bill's House sponsor.