With Georgia tax receipts down by over $2 billion, the Georgia’s Hope Scholarship program dipping into its reserve fund, and public schools furloughing teachers to save money, I am happy to learn that the state legislature spent some time debating a truly monumental problem – the tough choices faced by drivers who run over a deer or a bear.
Senate Bill 474 was passed by the 2010 Georgia legislature. It allows drivers to keep any bear or deer they might run over. Previously, such roadkill had to be scraped off the roadway and given to the Department of Natural Resource, where the carcasses were stuff, mounted and installed in various state owned properties.
Apparently the DNR has run out of places to mount the roadkill. Perhaps the state taxidermists were also furloughed. I suppose all those pesky budget issues can wait until next year. No word on whether restaurants using roadkill will have to disclose same on their menus.