The Missouri House and Senate have overwhelmingly passed House Bill 209, the Agriculture Nuisance Reform Act, to end the stream of never-ending lawsuits that threaten the livelihood of the state’s farmers.
Under HB 209, if a neighbor proves to the jury that a farm is unreasonably harming their property rights, the neighbor can still recover the loss of their property values.
But once the party has recovered their full losses in court, they can’t sue repeatedly for the same losses.
The proposed legislation wouldn’t stop neighbors who are being harmed unreasonably from seeking an injunction to stop the nuisance and harm if it persists.
According to the Missouri Pork Association, the law protects both farmers and their neighbors by creating a level playing field.
Missouri House Bill 209 will give Missouri farmers the same level of protection from repetitive lawsuits that is provided farmers in other adjacent agricultural states.
The bill now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon for passage. To contact the governor’s office to offer support, call (573) 751-3222 or e-mail him at http://governor.mo.gov/contact.