LANSING, MI (AP)-- A bill that would lift Michigan’s ban on using bait to hunt deer continues to advance in the Legislature despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s opposition.
The Republican-led Senate passed the legislation on a mostly 21-14 party-line vote Wednesday, a week after it cleared the Republican-controlled House. Senators made changes to the bill such as restricting the size of bait and revisiting the issue in two years.
The state Natural Resources Commission approved the baiting ban in 2018 to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease. Many Republican lawmakers question the science supporting the decision.
The regular firearm deer-hunting season starts Friday and goes through Nov. 30.
The legislation would need a final House vote before moving to the Democratic governor. The House is currently on a multi-week break.
