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STATE LAWMAKER WANTS TO EASE PREMISE I.D.
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 -- 12:00 pm
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
 Livestock owners are currently required to register their properties with the state; that would change under a bill being proposed by a local state lawmaker.
The Premise Registration Act was signed into law in 2004. State ag officials said it would help them handle potential disease outbreaks, like the Psuedorabies outbreak that occurred in Clark County.
But Rep. Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) says it infringes on the property rights of farmers. His bill would make registration voluntary.
"When we conducted the hearings, DATCP said they would go with a voluntary system with exemptions for certain farmers. They frankly, I think, lied to us," Suder claims.
Clark County District Attorney Darwin Zwieg has filed the first “test case” on the law.
He cited an Amish man from Loyal for failing to comply. Many Old Order Amish farmers say Premise I.D. is just the first step toward the eventual tagging of all animals, or the Mark of the Beast.
Suder claims the program is a hardship for family farmers.
"There's a concern with small farmers who are wondering, 'why do we have to do this, why do we have to expend a lot of time, effort and money to do this,' when they were under the impression it was going to be voluntary," Suder says.
He expects wide bipartisan support for his measure.
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