One of the most recent bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom will allow Californians to eat their roadkill.
From deer to elk, antelopes and wild pigs, Senate Bill 395 authorizes the state's Fish and Game Commission to issue free permits to anyone who wants to take the animal they accidentally ran over, home for dinner.
With more than 20,000 deer fatally hit on California roadways each year, the new law allows thousands of pounds of meat to potentially feed those in need.
The legislation merely gives the authority to create the program if it receives the funding it needs. The commission has until January 1, 2022, to create a program covering a maximum of three areas in the state identified as having the highest number of vehicle-animal collisions.
Surprisingly, animal rights activists are in support of the new bill. PETA says eating roadkill is a "superior option to the neatly shrink-wrapped plastic packages of meat in the supermarket."
States that already allow the practice include Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Oregon, and Vermont.