House narrowly votes to scrap morel mushroom inspector rule

The Michigan House narrowly approved a bill that would erase a state requirement ensuring every morel mushroom found in the wild is inspected by a mushroom expert.

The House approved the bill Tuesday by a 57-52 vote. Republican Rep. Triston Cole sponsored the bill and says current law infringes “upon an individual’s livelihood” and gets in the way of wild mushroom hunters peddling their wares to local restaurants.

Cole says chefs are already knowledgeable about which mushrooms are safe to eat and which could be poisonous. He adds that he picked morel mushrooms and sold them to local restaurants when he was a child.

Some were concerned getting rid of the rule could expose people to unsafe food.

The bill now moves to the Senate.  (AP)