The Best Quote I've Ever Heard! Missouri Over the Last Few Months!

 


Deer breeders and the Missouri Department of Conservation have disagreed over the past decade regarding management of captive cervids. Despite exhausting and numerous attempts to reconcile differences, the department continues to promulgate rules that are burdensome and nearly impossible to reach. Due to the impasse, MWBHRA initiated a legislative solution to the problem. The ultimate goal is to define captive cervids as livestock, which places the regulation of our members under the Missouri Department of Agriculture. 


On February 27th Senator Brad Lager (R-Savannah) introduced SB 964, which adds captive cervids to the definition of livestock and moves regulations from the Missouri Department of Conservation to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The legislation was considered by the Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee on April 2nd and received a passage vote by the committee on April 3rd. The full Senate debated the merits of SB 964 on April 23rd and the bill received its first round approval. 


During debate, several Senators spoke in favor of the captive deer industry and urged their colleagues to support the definition change given MDC's heavy-handedness and missed market opportunities with the commercial sale of venison on which the Department of Agriculture could capitalize. Senator Dan Brown (R-Rolla), an ardent supporter of SB 964 and a practicing veterinarian, stated that he has performed post-mortem examinations on captive deer and stressed that captive deer are much healthier and better maintained than the wild population. 


The Senate revisited the legislation on April 30th and provided its final approval of SB 964 by a 23-9 vote and sent the bill to the House for its consideration. This legislation is not new to the House as Representative Sandy Crawford (R-Buffalo) spearheaded the effort with a companion bill in that chamber. Her legislation, HB 2031, was considered by a House committee and passed by a 10-4 vote. 


As with all legislative initiatives, MWBHRA's language was attached to omnibus House and Senate agriculture bills. The result was overwhelming passage of both bills. These bills, HB 1326 and SB 506, now await Governor Nixon's signature. The Missouri Department of Conservation, along with its allies including the Humane Society of the United States, the Conservation Federation, and other environmental entities, will urge the Governor to veto the bills. We need to counteract their efforts with supporting calls and letters. 


Many thanks to all of our members who committed significant time, travel, and hard work on this important issue. Your advocacy with elected officials made this effort a success. This unprecedented result demonstrates the value of membership and active participation with MWBHRA. - Nancy Giddens - The Giddens Group

I am proud of what we have accomplished. I know Sam and many others have went the extra mile and that is greatly appreciated. If we get this passed it will be a great accomplishment for us, any new farmers, and future generations. We have enough to worry about without having to worry about being put out of business by competition that regulates us. Sam, do we have a date of when this bill will be signed or not by the governor?

Well done.   It just shows that if we go proactive and show the merits of our industry, we will prevail.  The truth, and facts, of CWD are on our side.  We can no longer sit on the sidelines and allow the anti's to spew their lies and half-truths about us.  If we don't respond to these attacks, the public will believe them, because that's the only facts they are getting.  Sitting back, and doing nothing, with the hopes this will go away is no longer an option.


The MDC and the outdoor writers threw everything they had at this industry, and they failed.  They have to be crying in their beer tonight.


 


Gary Olson

He has 45 days I believe.

Gary,

You articulate what I try to say very well.

Thanks

Good Stuff!

Amen, that is great.