Call to Order and Roll Call
The 4th meeting of the Free-Roaming Horse Task Force was held on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, at 10:30 AM, in Room 129 of the Capitol Annex. Senator Jared Carpenter, Chair, called the meeting to order at 10:38 AM, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Jared Carpenter, Co-Chair; Representative Fitz Steele, Co-Chair; Senators Brandon Smith and Robin L. Webb; Representative John Short; Phillip Brown, Rusty Ford, Ginny Grulke, Steve Hohmann, David Moss, Lori Redmon, Robert Stout, and Karen Waldrop.
Guests: Representative Tim Couch; Representative-Elect John Blanton; Laura Prewitt, Deputy Executive Director, Kentucky Horse Park; Tyler White, President, Kentucky Coal Association; John McCauley, Policy Director, Kentucky Department of Agriculture; and Debby Spencer, WMTH Corporation.
LRC Staff: John Ryan, Tanya Monsanto, Jasmine Williams, and Becky Lancaster.
Approval of the Minutes from the October 18, 2016 Meeting
A motion to approve the minutes of the October 18, 2016 meeting was made by Representative Steele, seconded by Steve Hohmann, and approved by voice vote.
Findings and Recommendations of the Free-Roaming Horse Task Force
Senator Carpenter stated the Free-Roaming Horse Task Force members have put much time and effort into their tasks and had engaged in great discussions. He recommended that the task force release the findings for information to further research and continued discussions. He is hopeful that the task force will be able to continue to work on the issue and provide a resolution.
Senator Webb agreed that the issue of free-roaming horses is more complex on many levels. There is still work to be done statutorily to definitions and classifications because free roaming horses could be in an area with a different classification in a subgroup of free roaming horses. She does consider population control important and a priority of the task force.
Dr. Robert Stout agreed with Senator Webb that the task force does not have enough information. He suggested that the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management be contacted to testify regarding its experiences, solutions, challenges, and costs related to free-roaming horses.
Lori Redmon recommended that a change be made to number 11 of the draft findings to consider the word agencies, or another word, that represents groups that benefit or help with the collaboration of networking and work to be done.
Senator Webb agreed with that recommendation, providing others may give input on the phrasing of that inclusion.
Representative Steele stated that, in the future, the task force should invite the sheriffs’ association to the meetings. The sheriffs’ association meets two to three times each year. If more information is given, the sheriffs may be able to help to patrol and monitor local areas that may be prone to having horses dropped off and left to roam illegally.
In response to a question from Dave Moss, Senator Carpenter stated that people could be added to the Free-Roaming Horse Task Force in 2017. There would need to be a legislative initiative to continue work on the task force.
Ginny Grulke expressed concern with the release of the findings and recommendations. The general public may take the document as recommendations that were agreed upon by task force members and action could be taken.
Dr. Robert Stout also shared concern with releasing the findings and recommendations as currently written.
Senator Webb agreed and stated there should be technical corrections to the language of the document to indicate issues the task force should investigate further instead of language that would indicate a determination or recommendation for legislation. She suggested the task force could issue a report of discussion to show what had been discussed to merit further task force existence.
Senator Carpenter favored a document of discussion but expressed concern about the time left to produce, approve, and release the document.
A motion to table the official findings and recommendations and release an official statement to continue the task force was made by Senator Webb, seconded by Dave Moss, and approved by voice vote.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:55 a.m.