BISMARCK - The House passed a bill Thursday designed to prevent frivolous lawsuits against confined animal-feeding operations, while the Senate defeated a bill that supporters of "animal agriculture" said was needed to keep local political subdivisions from restricting such operations.
The House passed House Bill 1501 on an 84-8 vote.
In the Senate, supporters of Senate Bill 2331 have pressed for it, saying they want it explicit in state law that counties and townships can't pass ordinances regulating pollution issues involved in the feedlots, but can regulate only where they can be located.
Pollution and health regulating should only be done by the state Health Department, they said.
Sen. Tim Flakoll, R-Fargo, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the current law seems to be working well, with 67 feedlots in 29 counties all over the state.
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The vote to kill the bill was 29-18.
- Janell Cole
