Urgent - Calls need to Speaker Armstead
West Virginia
For years, deer farmers have claimed they wanted to be under Department of Agriculture so they could sell venison and claimed Agriculture has USDA inspected slaughter houses and all would be "above board". Fears about a black market for vension were unfounded they said.
Now on the eve of the House of Delegates passing SB 237 to in fact transfer regulation of deer farms away from DNR and move to Agriculture what is waiting in the wings...House Bill 2658 which will REMOVE the requirement for nontraditional agriculture (deer) which must be slaughtered to be slaughtered in inspected slaughterhouses.
From the bill: "NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to remove the requirement that all nontraditional agriculture needing to be slaughtered be slaughtered in an inspected slaughterhouse.
Can the picture be any clearer or any grimmer?
Sportsmen where are your calls?
It's not too late if you will make a phone call to Speaker Armstead before 11:00am tomorrow at 304-340-3210 and ask him to table Senate Bill 237.
This is the greatest threat to wildlife conservation and the whitetail deer resource I have ever seen in my life.
I just find it concerning from a health perspective that along with the push to sell whole milk with no pasteuration along with game farm deer to be slaughtered in non inspected slaughterhouses to be gaining this much momentum. Especially in light of the current measles outbreak due to parents that don't immunize their children. Our approach to public health concerns seems to be taking a big step backwards.
But I guess now that everybody has Obamacare if anybody gets sick they will be fixed right up. We might lose a few people but they were probably weak anyway or had a poor immune system. After all, it's the survival of the fittest anyway.
Not sure I can understand how xgun thread can get 70+ posts but one that threatens our entire deer herd only gets 2.
SB 237 did pass but with only one minor amendment. Senate will have to accept the changes which is likely.
PM me if you are interested in the next steps.
Given the potential devastating effects of deer farming, number of studies that go into the details, actual number of deer farms in WV, etc. where is all the lobbying power coming from? Could it be the the head of the Dept. of Ag. just wants them under his wing and is pushing it through?
Will make the call in the morning.
I agree Little Bear. Your weapon of choice may be irrelevant if there is not much of a deer herd left to hunt.
Atleast they could flip and vote yes for Sunday hunting.
I too will call in the AM. Didn't get this until late tonight. Please pm details of what I need to do. I can check it on my phone when in service. I will get the pm in time to call if you send it.
I sure wish we had Jeziro back. They never got this far with him on watch. Which is highly likely why he isn't there anymore. I don't think we stand a chance to stop it but, I have zero interest in setting idly by without trying. God Bless
They came within 60 seconds of passing this last year and would have if the House Leadership hadn't stood their ground and not accepted Senate amendments.
Many in both houses were insistent on passing this because of Jezioro. So he was no hero in this or keeping this from passing in the past.
We would have had this several years ago if it had not been for House leadership that understood the issue and risks. We didn't have that this year.
The Governor can still veto and that is what we will be counting on. He is down in writing as intending to keep deer farm regulation with the DNR. I guess we'll see if he keeps his word and if the Legislature really wants to over-ride a Governor's veto.
Time will tell.
I don't know the details of this subject. I guess I'll take your opinion for what it is. I find it hard to believe that if he had been in favor of this happening, it would have already happened. I mean no harm or even disagreement. I just know what it appears like from the outside. I just find it kinda ironic that these bills are getting such a great deal of support now that he is gone. Wasn't it the law makers that wanted him gone for being so hard to deal with and taking tasks to use his power to influence the out come of bills when it took the responsibility of game management out of the hands of the DNR? I know he was labeled as a hard ball. My statement wasn't meant to paint him as a savoir. It was meant to say in his absence, they lobbying powers sure seem to be taking advantage of the fact he has no input. Like or dislike his tenor really isn't relevant in the point I make. But, he didn't cower to anything that threatened hunting in WV. I'll take that any day over the uncertainty we are seeing now. And that isn't to suggest we are headed wrong. It is suggesting we had it pretty dang good. God Bless
I think it has more to do with the new Republican control of the Senate and House for the first time in 80 years than Jezioro. I think this would have happened if Jezioro would have still been in there, from what I understand he didn't have many friends left over there at least according to the letter the Legislature wrote last year .
The new Legislature is pushing some bills thru way too fast in my opinion for whatever that is worth, and I'm a Republican.
What about the Sunday hunting bill 383. Is that going anywhere?
It's unlikely. It hasn't been put on the agenda in committee yet. If it dosen't make it out of committee in their next 2 meetings then it's too late. It's still got a slim chance but that chance is getting smaller with every passing day and will be over soon if it dosen't get put on the committee meeting agenda.
You can make some polite calls to the Senators on the Natural Resources Committee asking them to encourage the Chairman to put it on the agenda.
Everyone seems to want to pass things that are good for the economy and more opportunity to hunt and be afield is more money spent in rural counties (food, gas, equipment, etc.).
The key is to be polite and respectful.
I heard the Senate was considering a bill that would allow alcohol sales earlier in the day on Sunday.
Its a shame if they won't consider a Sunday hunting bill that would allow someone to use their own land in the manner in which they choose to use it.
Mountaineer - no offense taken and hope you didn't take any from my comment either...just trying to give the facts. And facts on deer farming is both sides have had the votes for some time now but House leaders have not allowed it to come to vote because they understood the dangers and risks and were saving us from pandora's box.
Ok. Thank you for the update.
