NW Illinois News

Two legislative proposals by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, aimed at addressing Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer, have received unanimous approval from House committees. The disease affects the central nervous system of deer and is a concern for wildlife management.

House Bill 2339 proposes to phase out sharpshooting programs in counties without a confirmed CWD case for three years. This bill passed the Agriculture & Conservation Committee with a 12-0 vote.

House Bill 2340 seeks to promote responsible hunting by reducing the land requirement for special hunting licenses from 40 acres to 20 acres in counties where CWD is present. This bill was approved by the same committee with a 9-0 vote.

“We are one step closer to achieving our goal to end sharpshooting to manage Chronic Wasting Disease. This effort is a credit to the significant public input I received in recent months that inspired the solutions proposed by my legislation,” said McCombie.

CWD was first detected in Boone County in 2002, and efforts to manage it have been significant, particularly in McCombie’s northwest Illinois district. Her legislative package was developed following public feedback gathered through surveys and community outreach earlier this year.

The bills will now proceed to the full House of Representatives for further consideration.