Senate Bill 844, which was heard in the Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee this week, specifies that the owner of an animal that breaks through a fence or trespasses
on another’s property is only liable for damages if the animal owner was negligent.
The legislation has the support of livestock owners, who are often the ones involved on both sides of these cases, and the agriculture industry as a whole. Missouri ranks seventh in the nation for the number of cattle raised. This is a serious issue needing to be addressed.
As elected officials, we need to ensure both sides are protected under the law. However, if every good faith effort is being on the part of the livestock owner whose animals escape, we need to take that into account. There is a very big difference between negligence and things completely out of one’s control. My legislation recognizes this fact, and changes the law to do the same.
I hope my colleagues in the Senate, who have long pledged their support of agriculture in Missouri, recognize the importance of passing this measure, and move quickly to get it on the governor’s desk.
In other news, representatives from the state’s electrical cooperatives were at the Capitol this week. These utility companies play a critical role in providing reliable energy to residents throughout the state. We need to do everything we can to support our cooperatives. This session, we’ll be considering a bill that would create a sales and use tax exemption for utilities, equipment and materials used to generate or transmit electricity. While the legislation has yet to be vetted, it’s these types of efforts that help ensure our cooperatives can continue providing excellent service to Missouri residents at an affordable fee.
Please feel free to contact my office if you have any questions regarding legislative activity in Jefferson City. Visitors this week include: Nick Seiner, Ted Zeugin, Dennis Hurley, Ed Dority, and Bob Arntz, Aaron Ash, Jim Davis, Don Levi, Tim Meinhardt, Gene Brockus, Zeb Dahl, Robby Simmons, and Robert Burns.