Roadside diner: Roadkill bill is on the legislative menu in Montana

UPDATE, March 21: The Senate passed the bill. The bill now goes to Governor Steve Bullock, a Democrat, who has not yet indicated whether he will sign it, reports Dan Boyce of Reuters.

Montana residents may soon be able to find their dinner on the side of the road, legally. The state is considering a bill that would allow people to eat roadkill. The bill passed the House 95 to 3 and is awaiting action in the Senate’s Fish and Game Committee.

In 2011 about 6,568 animals died after colliding with a vehicle on Montana roads, including 6,069 deer, 171 elk, 63 antelope, 33 black bears, six mountain lions and two grizzly bears, writes Jennifer Oldham of Bloomberg.

"Roadkill carries health risks," Lawrence Goodridge, associate professor of food safety at Colorado State University, told Oldham. "For those who handle it, they include exposure to bacteria or infectious diseases, and those who eat it may be exposed to food-borne illnesses if the meat isn’t cooked properly at the right temperature. Personally, I would not support any such legislation."

Coincidence? The head of the panel that sets Montana's hunting regulations was cited for illegally salvaging a deer hit by his car in late 2011. (Read more)