10/07/2016, Veto Clean Water

By Bob Randall on Friday, October 7th, 2016 in Conservation, No Comments

You are probably aware that the Missouri legislature over-road several of Governor Nixon’s recent vetoes. Of interest to fishermen may be the law that changed the makeup of the state’s Clean Water Commission which helps set and enforce water quality standards aimed at preventing pollution. House Bill 1713 originally dealt with lagoon-based waste water systems but was amended to change the way the commission functions. Nixon vetoed it saying, “This change would effectively pave the way for regulated interests to seize control of the commission and would eliminate the public’s voice in the water quality control efforts under the purview of the commission.”

This may be a power-grab that helps politicians’ well connected constituents, and thus the politicians. It’s a done deal. Your legislator has already voted. It points out that we have to be more vigilant to what’s going on in Jefferson City. We’ll have to wait to see what happens to the thing that really matters here: water quality.

Thanks to Steve Young, a member of the Springfield Chapter of the Missouri Trout Fishermen’s Association for bringing this to my attention.

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