Nullifying the Federal Endangered Species Act

Rep. Krayton Kerns (R-Laurel) had a hearing on his bill in the House Judiciary committee this morning. The bill seeks to nullify the federal endangered species act. This bill was recently identified by Democratic leadership as one of the “Terrible Ten” frivolous and unconstitutional bills.

This bill is a drastic response to current concerns about the grey wolf population in the state. Rather than taking a responsible approach to dealing with the wolf issue in the state, Rep. Kerns has pursued a path that would cost the state money and put in danger some of our greatest species in the state.

If this bill is signed into law, it would cost the state $460 in lost federal money each year. This bill would also be devastating to our tourism in the state, as these rare species that people come to Montana to see would be wiped out. Because of this, the economic impact of this bill is much greater than the $460 million in lost federal funds.

The House Judiciary committee will likely take executive action on this bill next week.