Missouri House passes bipartisan feral hog bill

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Missouri House passes bipartisan feral hog bill

The Missouri House has passed a bill to increase penalties for people who knowingly release feral hogs into the wild.

The bill, sponsored by Republican State Representative Don Rone of southeast Missouri, increases the criminal penalty from a class A misdemeanor to a class E felony, “The bill specifically states if you willingly and knowingly release the hogs into the wild you go from a misdemeanor to that.”

The Bill passed with bipartisan support – including a vote from Democrat State Representative Kimberly-Ann Collins – who’s on the House Ag policy committee.

She pointed out in committee how much damage feral hogs are causing and how the bill is supported by groups from the Sierra Club to agriculture,

“Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Missour Farm bureau, Missouri Pork Association – I don’t eat pork – Missouri Soybean, Missouri Department of Agriculture as well as Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.”

The Missouri Parks Association says feral hogs are “a clear threat” to agriculture and wildlife, saying they’ve damaged numerous state parks including Roaring River in southwest Missouri and, Elephant Rocks and Lake Wappapello state parks in southeast Missouri.

The bill now goes to the state Senate.

~Thanks to Missourinet

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