Roadkill Aficionados Lose Fight in Illinois

​Illinois Governor Pat Quinn yesterday vetoed a bill that would allow people to collect roadkill from state roadways and use the carcasses for fur or food.

The bill (HB3178), which passed the General Assembly in May, would have allowed people with a license to trap or hunt fur-bearing mammals in the state to also harvest animals found on the roadway only during season. In vetoing the bill, Quinn cited safety concerns of the people stopping along the highway to collect animal carcasses and urged lawmakers to draft a safer bill.

Supporters of the legislation argued it would save the state money by reducing the number of employees needed to pick up roadkill from roadways.