FOR JOINING THE YOUR "YOUR LEGISLATORS" ENERGY HOUR.

>> Barry: WE WANT TO MOVE FROM ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME FROM A VIEWER AND I WANT TO GO TO REPRESENTATIVE SWEDZINSKI ON THIS.

THE VIEWER IS RAISING AN ISSUE ABOUT A BILL IN THE HOUSE.

THIS VIEWER IS CONCERNED ABOUT WASTING DISEASE.

THIS VIEWER BELIEVES TO PROTECT OUR WILD HERDS WE NEED TO GET RID OF THE DEER FARMS AND ANOTHER VIEWER POINTS TO THE CWD BILL CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE BILL SPONSORED BY AMY BECKER AND WANTS TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S GOING TO PASS AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PANEL SUPPORTS IT.

GENERAL TOPIC, CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE, REPRESENTATIVE SWEDZINSKI, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

>> EVERYONE WANTS A SAFE HERD WITHIN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

THIS IS A PARTICULAR ISSUE.

THE SCIENCE IS A BIT QUESTIONABLE.

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY FOLKS AT U OF M THEY ARE CONCERNED IT WILL MAKE THE JUMP TO MINNESOTANS.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE.

WE HAVE GRANDSTANDING GOING ON WITHIN THE ACADEMIC FIELD GETTING MONEY FROM THE STATE.

THESE ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.

WE HAVE SEEN A GENERAL CHANGE WHERE OUR DEER FARMERS HAVE BEEN REGULATED IN GENERAL.

THEY HAVE FOLKS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AG THAT GO OUT AND HELP REGULATE THESE PRODUCERS.

I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF AN EASY GROUP TO PICK ON.

BUT AS FAR AS -- I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE MAJORITY WANTS TO DO.

THERE IS SOME APPETITE BY FOLKS TO DRIVE THIS OUT OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE DONE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO A LOT OF RESEARCH IN THE PARTICULAR AREA OF RESISTANCE.

LIKE SCABIES WITHIN SHEEP THAT WE DEALT WITH IN YEARS PAST AND MAJOR, MAJOR DISEASES AND RUN THE GENETICS OUT TO HAVE RESISTANCE TO CWD.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION, POTENTIAL TO HELP BRING SOME OF THOSE GENETICS INTO THE STATE TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT RESISTANCE.

IF YOU LOOK AT WISCONSIN, WE DO HAVE OUTBREAKS, BUT WE HAVE DEER THAT SWIM BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI OR ST. CROIX RIVER AS WELL.

I THINK THE STATE SHOULD BE TAKING A LEADING ROLE AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN WORK ON THOSE GENETICS SO WE CAN ASSURE NOT ONLY OUR NATURAL POPULATION OF DEER HAVE THE PROTECTION THAT THEY NEED BUT ALSO DOMESTICATED VERSIONS OF THE DEER FARM AREAS AS WELL.

AS FAR AS PARTICULAR BILLS, I DON'T SERVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, SO I HAVEN'T BEEN TRACKING THEM THAT CLOSE.

>> Barry: SENATOR MATTHEWS, CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE, YOUR THOUGHTS?

>> BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WE HAD TO LOOK AT MORE AND MORE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

I AGREE WITH CHRIS.

DEER FARMERS ARE OFTEN AN EASY TARGET FOR FOLKS TO FOCUS ON, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO REACH OUT AND TRY TO TALK TO THEM.

I HAVE SEVERAL THAT I KNOW OF THAT ARE IN MY DISTRICT OR CLOSE TO IT.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN EXAMPLES OF ONE OR TWO BAD ACTORS AMONG THAT, BUT IT'S NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THESE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AS A WHOLE, AND IT'S NOT FAIR IN ANY AREA TO JUDGE AN ENTIRE AREA OR GROUP OF PEOPLE BY THE WORST PERFORMING MEMBERS OR BY THE WORST ONES THAT DO IT WRONG.

THERE ARE MANY FARMS THAT DO IT RIGHT THAT HAVE THE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE THAT MANAGE HERDS WELL, AND FRANKLY EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE, RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, GETTING RID OF DEER FARMS IS NOT GOING TO GET RID OF CWD.

THERE'S GOING TO BE OVERSIGHT, MAYBE LOOK AT PROTECTIONS YOU HAVE IN PLACE WITH WHAT FARMERS NEED TO DO AFTER HUNTING AND WHETHER THE DISPOSAL NEEDS TO BE HANDLED A CERTAIN WAY.

THAT'S THE THINGS THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THAT CAN HAVE TANGIBLE EFFORTS AND SO I ALWAYS TRY TO APPROACH THESE BY WHAT'S THE EVIDENCE?

WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY DO, AND WHAT WILL END UP HAVING A GOOD RESULT IN THE END?

GOING AFTER DEER FARMS I DON'T BELIEVE WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WANT.

MORE RESEARCH, MORE STUDY, KEEP MANAGEMENT ZONES OR CONTROL ZONES WHERE YOU NEED THEM.

HAVE THE EXPERTS LOOKING IN ON THEM.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONCRETE TANGIBLE THINGS THAT WE CAN KEEP DOING.

>> Barry: SENATOR FRENTZ.

>> I HAVE NOT MUCH TO ADD.

MANY OF THE HIGH POINTS OF THIS DEBATE HAVE BEEN COVERED.

I SERVED ON THE SENATE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE IN WHICH WE HAD JURISDICTION OVER THE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH.

AS SENATOR SWEDZINSKI POINTED OUT, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT TO TRY CONCURRENT AUTHORITY.

THE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH IS AN IMPRESSIVE ORGANIZATION THAT DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH DISEASE OUTBREAKS.

WE PROVIDED FUNDING TO THE VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LAB TO HELP US DIAGNOSE AND PREVENT THE SPREAD.

WE HAVE OVER $4 BILLION IN GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN THE STATE JUST FROM PORK PRODUCTION AND THE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH FEELS WE HAVE WEAPONS WE CAN USE, A COUPLE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ALLUDED TO.

IT IS TOUGH TO HAVE ANY BUSINESS OWNER FEEL THREATENED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION.

IT'S INHERENT THAT WE DON'T LIKE IT.

I CAN SEE THE DYNAMICS, AND I'M NOT ON THE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE.

BUT I WOULD POINT IT OUT TO FOLKS.

WE HAVE ABOUT 450,000 DEER HUNTERS THAT ARE EITHER IN THE STATE.

THEY HAVE A CERTAIN TOURISM AND THERE'S REVENUE FOR THE STATE IN TOURISM.

THAT'S A GOOD THING.

DEER HUNTERS ARE 200 FAMILY BUSINESSES AND I THINK THE BEST POINT ON HERE, AND HE WITH SEE THIS SOMETIMES, BUT TO SENATOR MATTHEWS POINT, A COUPLE OF THOSE DEER FARMERS REALLY DID NOT APPRECIATE THE WAY THEY CONDUCTED THEMSELVES.

THEY MADE IT MUCH HARDER FOR LEGISLATORS TO BE SYMPATHETIC TO DEER FARMERS ON THE WHOLE.

WE HAVE A DUTY TO EACH OTHER AS MINNESOTANS TO TRY TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD ON SOME OF THIS STUFF.

NOBODY WANTS THE DISEASE TO SPREAD.

WHAT I WOULD SEE IS HOPEFULLY CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE DNR WHO HAS OFFICERS THAT CAN HELP US.

THEY DON'T HAVE CONSERVATION OFFICERS THEY CAN SEND OUT.

TRY TO MAKE IT A COMMON GOAL TO LIMIT THE SPREAD AND CLOSING BUSINESSES, DE.

THERE'S DPRL MONEY FOR DEPOP LATING, AND THE CALLER THAT'S FROM THE HOME COUNTY WILL SAY WHAT ABOUT CLOSING THEM DOWN?

I'M NOT READY TO TAKE THAT STEP BUT I EXPECT THERE'S A REAL