ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ State Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn says Minnesota needs to take comprehensive action this year to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease among the state's wild deer.

The Roseville Democrat was joined by fellow deer hunters at a news conference Monday to promote legislation aimed at stopping the outbreak of the always fatal brain disease before it becomes endemic in Minnesota's white-tail herd.

Becker-Finn is sponsoring bills that target deer farms to try to stop the disease from spreading from captive to wild deer. Another of her bills would give the University of Minnesota $1.8 million to develop better diagnostic testing for dead and live deer.

But lobbyist Tim Spreck says it's ``preposterous'' to trash Minnesota's deer farmers when most are doing an excellent job of keeping their herds healthy.

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