In the immediate term, the MDC has done a magnificent job working to eradicate CWD in Missouri. Much of this effort centers on captive cervid operations because that is where the first cases occurred.
Clearly, the captive deer farmers did not like the regulations being placed on them and utilized the strategy that works so well with Missouri Republican legislators as of late. They lobbied hard and got their law passed.
The Missouri Conservation Commission is the authority for the MDC, and by design is nonpartisan. Therefore, Missouri legislators have as of late tried a multitude of ways to take money and authority from the MDC. If the cervid industry had been classified as agriculture and were under the auspices of the Department of Ag, it is possible that further regulation of them would have been difficult or impossile due to the rcently passed Amendment 1.
A family member asked me the question, "Why would it really matter if agriculture regulated the deer farms?" It's a fair question. The answer is that having two governmental entities regulate the captive and wild deer populations makes no sense. Also, as previously outlined, if one of those entities is overseen by legislators who are bought off by the cervid industry, it is pretty unlikely our deer popuations will remain disease free.
In the long term, letting politicians get their foot in the door on wildlife management is a worrisome proposition. Our legislators have had their grreedy eyes on MDC's sales tax revenue and regulatory authority for some time. Missouri has been blessed with politics free fish and wildlife management for several generations and has become the envy of sportsmen and women nationwide.
It is this way because oldtimers rolled up their sleeves years ago and got grimy politicians out of the picture, Our fishing and hunting is seriously being imperiled as we speak. The success of these politicians relies on their theory that because the majority of us lean conservative, we won't throw their rear ends out if they mess with our hunting and fishing.
I wrote my state "representative," Bart Korman, and told him that because of his override vote I would do all I could do to see him replaced. I hope you do the same.
Enough is enough!
SEE HOW YOU LEGISLATOR VOTED BELOW:
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| House Votes on Cervid Override |
Senator Munzlinger moved that HCS for SB 506 be passed, the objections of the Governor thereto
notwithstanding, which motion received the necessary two-thirds majority by the following vote:
YEAS—Senators
Brown Cunningham Curls Dempsey Dixon Emery Kehoe Kraus
Lager Lamping LeVota Libla Munzlinger Nasheed Nieves Parson
Pearce Richard Romine Sater Schaaf Schaefer Silvey Wasson—24
NAYS—Senators
Holsman Justus Keaveny Schmitt Sifton Wallingford Walsh—7
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