“Feeding wildlife should not be a prosecutable offense in Michigan,” said Borton, R-Gaylord. “We want our grandkids to sit by the window with bated breath when a blue jay or a black bear appears in the backyard. Those are core memories that help young people fall in love with the great outdoors. Yet, this is exactly what the DNR is taking away with their birdfeeder fear-mongering and clear abuse of law enforcement authority. They should be chasing down poachers, not little old women with an affinity for bird watching.”

“When these oppressive laws first passed, I described the situation as ‘Democrats pressing their green boots into the throats of Northern Michigan.’ The committee passage of these bills is the first step toward prying that boot off,” said Borton, R-Gaylord. “Local control is the oxygen that feeds communities across the state. The ability to manage our elections, make taxing decisions, decide what’s best for our communities, and govern ourselves is the lifeblood that keeps us going. Democrats stripped a major portion of that away, and now we’re taking it back.”