Springfield lawmaker wants tougher penalty for releasing feral hogs
A local lawmaker wants to ramp up punishment for anyone helping feral hogs expand their territory in the state. Legislation from Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, would upgrade the penalty for releasing pigs into the wild without a permit from a high-level misdemeanor to a low-grade felony. It also makes some key changes to statutes to make it easier to charge the crime in court. Missouri Department of Conservation officials say the plan would help address a major obstacle to their efforts to eradicate the hogs, which cause millions of dollars in damage each year digging up farmland and habi...
Source: news-leader.com