Special Alert! Take Action! SPECIAL ALERT TO KILL THE BILLS – HB 318 & HB 302 – NOT WILD BUFFALO! Dear members, this week the Senate will vote on HB 318, a bill redefining "wild" buffalo using criteria that could strip American bison, our National Mammal, of recognition as a native wildlife species under state law. In 2019, Governor Steve Bullock vetoed a bill with a similar legal definition used in HB 318 because it "presents unintended consequences" for Yellowstone's wild herds, not just individual buffalo, which "could be inappropriately deemed domestic." STOP HB 318 To stop HB 318, please call and leave a message for up to 5 legislators in the Senate with the Information Desk (406) 444-4800. Please ask Senators how HB 318's criteria redefining "wild" buffalo applies to Yellowstone's wild herds. Do Yellowstone's buffalo herds meet HB 318's new definition of "wild"? You can also find email addresses for all 50 Senators here. The Senate Agriculture, Livestock & Irrigation committee will soon hear HB 302, a bill giving a board of county commissioners veto power over any decision to recover American bison in the state. State lawmakers have already made it nearly impossible to recover a wild, migratory herd or herds anywhere. HB 302 usurps Montanan's constitutional right to participate in the decision by giving the final say to a board of county commissioners. STOP HB 302 Thank you for becoming a force for our Legislator Educator Initiative to repeal MCA 81-2-120, and stop HB 318 and HB 302 from becoming law in Montana. THANK YOU so much for taking action for our National Mammal! |
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