Today, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) introduced legislation that would reform the Endangered Species Act to make it more transparent and accountable:

“The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is in desperate need of reform,” Luetkemeyer said. “In the 44 years since the ESA was first enacted into law, thousands of species have been listed as threatened or endangered, yet less than 30 have been recovered and delisted. This legislation will bring transparency to the listing process and increase recovery of species, while protecting the rights of states and private property owners. I want to thank Senators Rand Paul (KY) and Dean Heller (NV) for championing this legislation in the United States Senate. It is my hope we can educate our colleagues about this common-sense legislation and bring it to the House floor quickly.”

This legislation will:
-Respect States’ rights and responsibilities in the listing and recovery process
-Reassert Congressional oversight of the listing process
-Establish a new procedure to protect individual property rights
-Increase transparency and ensure the use of the best available science
-Work to end Sue-and-Settle tactics
Luetkemeyer introduced this legislation in the 114^th Congress.