Urgent!!! SGRA Needs Your Help!

Members and Friends,



We need your help! Please send an email to the Mississippi Senators supporting deer farming. The more emails they get, the better chance we have of getting our bill passed. Regardless of whether you are a Ms. resident or not, your letter will be very helpful and most appreciated.



Just copy and paste the addresses below onto your new email and copy and paste the text of the letter to your mail.



Thank You!

Scott Heinrich, Exec. Director SGRA





Mississippi Senator Email Addresses



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Dear Senator,



In the 2010 Legislative session, SB 3089, AN ACT TO CREATE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHITE-TAILED DEER ENCLOSURES AND BREEDING PENS AND THE WHITE-TAILED BREEDING INDUSTRY; TO RECOMMEND SAFEGUARDS TO PROTECT NATIVE WILDLIFE AND DEER WITHIN SUCH ENCLOSURES; TO DETERMINE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF WHITE-TAILED DEER BREEDING INDUSTRY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES was passed and signed by the governor.







A committee, headed by Dr. James Watson of the MBAH which included representatives of the MDWFP, representatives of the MDA and representatives of the deer industry was formed. The committee spent considerable time researching deer industry practices across the US, visited some working deer farms in neighboring Louisiana and reviewed the federal guidelines concerning deer farming.







The result of the hard work by the committee, was the creation of recommendations, procedures and safeguards to allow expansion of the deer industry in Mississippi. Consequentially, SB 2530 and HB 927 (identical bills) have been introduced to the 2011 Mississippi Legislative Session.







This bill will allow the deer industry in Mississippi to compete on an even playing field with other states that generate significant revenues and job creations from deer farming. This bill is good for landowners seeking an alternative source of revenue from their existing acreage, while at the same time creating jobs for “regular” folks in our great state. Additionally, the state will add to it’s coffers from revenues gained from permit and license fees with no additional investment of any tax-payer dollars.







There are those who would like you to believe their rhetoric which suggests hunters in the state of Mississippi will be adversely effected by this bill. In fact, this bill has no effect on hunting at all. Deer raised on farms do not come from the wild, nor can they be released into the wild.







I respectfully request your support on SB 2530 and/or HB 927. Please support expansion of the deer farming industry in Mississippi. Deer Farming is the fastest growing agri-business in the US and it’s time Mississippi be a leader in a booming industry.











Thank You!

SB 2530 was sent to the senate floor for approval. Since our bill included revenues (fees) it required a 3/5 majority, instead of a simple majority. The vote was very close 28 yay-22nay, which was 2 votes short. Senator Gallotte filed a motion to re-consider the bill. What this does is keeps the bill alive and allows changes to be made so that it can be re-submitted for approval at another time. Ther bill will be ammended to remove the fees and make its approval a simple majority vote. Below are the senators that did not support our bill. Senators Hudson and Hyde-Smith voted for our bill in comittee, yet voted against it on the floor. We need to understand their reasons for changing their votes. 1. It is an election year and regardless of how much good for the state a bill will do, if it is contraversial, these senators will not approve it for fear that it will cost them votes. 2. The MDWFP lobbied secretely with Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant (who both had previously told us we had their support) and changed their minds with scare rhetoric about future political aspirations like Haley running for President and Phil running for Governor.



It is apparent that when some Mississippi politicians tell you they support you, they do so just to make you feeel good.



Please keep sending emails and making phone calls to the below listed senators to support SB 2530 when it comes up for re-consideration.





Nays--Baria, Blount, Brown, Bryan, Burton, Clarke, Collins, Davis, Frazier, Hopson, Hudson, Hyde-Smith, Jackson G. (15th), Jones, King, McDaniel, Moffatt, Montgomery, Simmons, Stone, Watson, Wilemon.





Here is what I sent to ALL of the senators today as we do not want any defetors.



If you have the time, use the senate mailing list in the original post and please send the text below to these lawmakers.



Dear Senator,







Recently, SB 2530 was voted upon by the Mississippi Senate. The proposal fell short of the necessary votes needed to pass by only two votes.







In an election year, support of controversial legislation can be considered as a “third-rail” in the political arena. Although controversial, this bill is good for Mississippi in many ways. This bill will create good jobs for both non-skilled and professional residents of our great state, promote tourism, and establish one of the fastest growing agri-businesses in the country.







The structure of this bill was developed from hard work from a committee assigned by last year’s legislative session to create its content. The regulations in this bill are the result of contributions from The Mississippi Department of Agriculture, The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, The Mississippi Development Authority, Industry Experts in the field and has been modeled from similar regulations in other states that enjoy the revenues created by the Deer Farming Industry and its associated related industries.







Unlike most resolutions, this bill creates revenues for our great state with investment in made solely by private citizens NOT from the state of Mississippi.







I Respectfully request, that you seriously consider “re-consideration” of this bill. Although much rhetoric has evolved around this bill, it is simply a way to allow residents of our great state to peruse revenues generated by a new agri-business that will create jobs and help Mississippi’s economy.

Please forgive me for not saying THANK YOU to all of you that have helped our cause. Without your help, we would not have come this far.



THANK YOU ALL!

UPDATE.............

The bill was sent to the Senate for a vote last Tuesday. Since the bill included fees (permit costs, license fees, etc.) it was considered a "revenue" bill. Mississippi legislative rules require a 3/5 majority for any legislation containing revenues. The measure was defeated by a 28 yay to 22 Nay vote. 2 votes short of the required majority. We immediately filed a motion to re-consider this bill. The bill was amended to remove the fee amounts to only require a simple majority when re-considered. The re-consideration vote is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011. We need to flood the descenting senators wit emails, letters and phone calls to solicit their support for the amended bill. Please see below, a copy of the email I sent to these senators. Feel free to copy or modify my letter's content and forward it to these senators. I am told they place high value in the volume of email they recieve on any legislation so the more emails....the better.



Thanks !!!!!!!!!!



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Subject: Please Re-consider supporting SB 2530



Senator,

There has been much rhetoric concerning SB2530. Please consider the following facts as you re-consider this bill:



1. This bill is to allow the farming of Whitetail Deer. It is NOT a hunting bill. This bill states that NO farmed deer may come from the wild, nor may any of them be released into the wild.Thus the impact to Mississippi's native whitetail deer is non-existent.



2. This bill states that ALL of the farmed deer imported into Mississippi shall be identified with traceable identification (i.e; microchip), have a certificate of general health issued by a veterinarian, have a negative tuberculosis and negative brucellosis test no more than 30 days prior to its importation and originate from a farm within a state that has NO recorded cases of CWD and the herd of origin must have a negative CWD monitored status for a minimum of 5 years. Domestic livestock (cattle, horses, goats, sheep, and swine) are not regulated this closely.



3. Deer Farming is the fastest growing agri-business in the U.S. In neighboring Louisiana, economic impact from deer farming is estimated to be around $175 million dollars annually, With no cost to the state of Mississippi, we too, could enjoy the economic impact of this industry. With the passage of this bill, Mississippi, with its terrain, flora and fauna will become a leader in this agri-business.



4. JOBS!!!!! The passage of this bill would allow small business opportunities for our residents, which will create jobs for both our non-skilled and professional residents.



The rhetoric would have you believe we are playing God by producing high quality genetic offspring. Nothing could be further from the truth. Deer Farming has been around for over 50 years in the U.S. Technological advances has made this industry comparable to the domestic livestock industry. Just as a cattle breeder tries to produce the best bull, a horse breeder the best horse and a swine breeder a superior hog, the deer farmers of America continue to try to produce better quality animals using scientifically proven breeding techniques common to livestock operations.





Please help Mississippi become a leader in this fast growing agri-business. In a few years you will be proud when you look back and see that for once Mississippians are the leaders in this catagory instead of at the bottom of the list in agricultural achievements.