Missourians for Local Control

"Supporting Local Government - Closer to the People"

For Immediate Release!

4.19.07
Contact:   Missouri Rural Crisis Center, (573) 449-1336

Senate Tables CAFO Bill

Creates Interim Committee to Study CAFOs and Local Control

As a result of opposition from farmers and landowners to Senate Bill 364, late last night most of the language from Senate Bill 364 was transferred to Senate Bill 570, sponsored by Senator Clemens. SB 570 was debated on the Senate floor today.

Late in the day, Majority Floor Leader Shields brought up the amended SB 570. Senator Shields then offered an amendment to set up a joint Senate/House interim committee to study the issue of CAFOs [concentrated animal feeding operations] and local control.

"This issue needs to move forward, and I don't see that happening without a joint interim committee," said Shields, R-St. Joseph.

The Senate approved the amendment, stripping the language in Senate Bill 570, and replacing it with the interim committee language.

"We were prepared for a vote and believe we had the votes to win. But, we are cautiously optimistic that the interim committee will be an opportunity to find a solution that family farmers and landowners can live with," said Rhonda Perry, program director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center and livestock and grain farmer from Howard County.

Given this turn of events, local control proponents are hopeful that the Senate will not pass any anti-local control legislation this session.

Perry says, "Missourians for Local Control will continue to be vigilant in monitoring the situation in both the House and the Senate."

Supporters of local control and property rights fiercely opposed Senate Bill 364 on several counts--taking away of local control from elected representatives to protect the health, welfare and property rights of the majority of family farmers, landowners and rural citizens, and the abolishment of constitutional rights of farmers and property owners to defend their property through legal challenges when the negative impacts of corporate livestock factories infringe upon their property rights.