Alabama House committee hears divided public testimony on HB 509, which would curb state testing and transfer authority for captive deer

An Alabama House committee held a public hearing on House Bill 509, a measure that would limit state agencies’ authority to test, kill or restrict the transfer of captive deer for disease control, and heard about nine speakers split between supporting and opposing the bill.

Supporters — mostly deer breeders and allied industry groups — told the committee the bill would protect private-property rights and permit breeders to develop animals less susceptible to chronic wasting disease (CWD). “The solution lies with breeders who are breeding for resistance,” said Jack Crosby, who identified himself as a deer farmer. Cameron Odom, another breeder, described work with Texas A&M geneticist Christopher Seabury and said breeders are selecting DNA markers to reduce susceptibility.

Opponents, including the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and representatives of hunting and livestock interests, said HB 509 would remove important disease-detection and movement controls and put the state’s wild deer herd and hunting economy at risk. “HB 509 would take tools out of their tool pouch to actually monitor for, detect, and manage CWD in this state,” said Tim Gallagher, executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Federation. Commissioner Chris Blankenship (Department of…