Two pieces of legislation introduced by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie to address the concerns with sharpshooting to manage Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the disease of the central nervous system in deer, secured unanimous approval in House committees on Tuesday.
House Bill 2339 would automatically phase out the sharpshooting program in any county that has not had a confirmed CWD case in three years. The bill passed the Agriculture & Conservation Committee by a vote of 12-0.
House Bill 2340 encourages responsible hunting by allowing special deer, turkey, and combination hunting licenses for landowners with at least 20 acres compared to 40 acres in counties where CWD has been identified. The bill passed the Agriculture & Conservation Committee by a vote of 9-0.
“We are one step closer to achieving our goal to end sharpshooting to manage Chronic Wasting Disease. This effort is a credit to the significant public input I received in recent months that inspired the solutions proposed by my legislation,” said McCombie.
Since its first detection in a Boone County deer in 2002, state efforts to manage the disease have had a lasting impact, especially in Leader McCombie’s northwest Illinois district. As a result, McCombie sought public feedback through a survey and community outreach, which culminated in the legislative package she filed in January to produce state-based solutions.
House Bills 2339 and 2340 now advance to the full House of Representatives for a final vote.