The House has given initial approval to a bill meant to keep a United Nations’ policy regarding property use out of the state.

Representative Lyle Rowland (photo courtesy; Missouri House Communications)

Representative Lyle Rowland (photo courtesy; Missouri House Communications)

It’s called Agenda 21, a non-binding 1992 agreement from the United Nations on sustainable development. Conservatives widely oppose it saying it undermines U.S. sovereignty and individual property rights. Representative Lyle Rowland’s (R-Cedarcreek) bill would bar state and local governments from implementing it in Missouri.

“One of their statements is that personal property is not sustainable. They feel like the government can do a better job of controlling property.”

See Representative Rowland’s bill

House Democrats have not spoken in support of Agenda 21, but Minority Leader Jake Hummel (D-St. Louis City) questions the need to act against it.

“We’re wasting time on this, but yet this is something that’s never been voted on by the United States Congress. So, we’re trying to pre-empt laws that aren’t even passed yet?”

Representative Jeff Grisamore (R-Lee’s Summit) argues other policies have been enacted without Congressional action.

“When Congress failed to adopted Cap-and-Trade what did the White House do? They began to do an end-around on Congress and the Constitution and put in place Cap-and-Trade restrictions by rule making, executive order and regulation. They’ve done the same thing through Dodd and Frank and they have done the same thing now through Obamacare with the more than 20,000 regulations that are already on the books.”

The House bill needs another favorable vote to reach the Senate. The Senate has already passed such a bill.