State Reps. David Martin (R-Davison) and Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) today slammed the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for action taken after a June House Committee hearing. On June 25, a joint hearing was held where testimony and presentation was heard from Ted Nugent which included the Natural Resources & Tourism Committee, chaired by Martin, and the Weaponization of State Government Oversight Subcommittee, chaired by Rigas. The committee focused on unfair practices and abuses by the DNR, specifically regarding its enforcement of the Invasive Species Order (ISO) with domesticated pigs.

Previously, the Weaponization Subcommittee had heard testimony from hog farmers on how the DNR was using vague subjective characteristics laid out in their own guidelines to capture and kill privately owned pigs deemed to look like Russian Boar without any scientific evidence. Guidelines included the floppiness of a pig’s ears or the curliness of its tail. Since the subcommittee hearing and subsequent joint hearing with Ted Nugent, Assistant Attorney General Keith D. Underkoffler has filed a request in court asking that Judge Richard J. Garcia rule in favor of the DNR, allowing them to separate and eliminate pigs owned by some of the ranchers who testified at their discretion. Garcia has previously ruled against certain hog farmers, telling them they weren’t allowed to remove or add their own privately owned pigs from their own property.

“Our system is supposed to operate on good governance and the rule of law,” said Martin. “Trust in that system is irreparably harmed when the state is politically targeting hog farmers. If the judge signs off on this order, it will allow the DNR to take their pigs as they deem fit and put these farmers in the hole for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is unacceptable, and I won’t stand for it.”

Rigas shared a similar sentiment.

“The DNR has been running completely unchecked and overfunded,” Rigas said. “Both the Attorney General’s Office and the DNR have a clear history of weaponization and political targeting. We need to put and end to this right now before this joint monstrosity targets and ruins the lives of any additional Michigan citizens.”

The hearing on the motion is scheduled for July 29 at 1:30 PM at the 30^th Judicial Circuit Court in Ingham County.

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