House Minority Leader Tony McCombie passed two pieces of legislation in the Illinois House this week to address the concerns with sharpshooting to manage Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). After passing unanimously in the Agriculture & Conservation Committee, they also earned bipartisan unanimous support in the House:
- House Bill 2339 would automatically phase out the sharpshooting program in an identified county that has not had a confirmed CWD case in three years.
- House Bill 2340 allows for landowner permits to those who own at least 20 acres compared to 40 acres within a positively identified CWD county by the Department of Natural Resources.
“The use of agency sharpshooting to test the deer population has taken a toll in northern Illinois,” said McCombie. “These bills present a step forward, one that was inspired by the significant input I received from constituents.”
Since its first detection in a Boone County deer in 2002, state efforts to manage the disease have impacted local residents 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 Senate for further consideration. Interested residents can follow their progress in the legislative process at ilga.gov.