National Cattleman's Beef Association

Critics say the Missouri legislation debated this week could jeopardize the state’s groundwater and 136,000 miles of streams.

The longhorned tick has only been in Missouri for a couple of years, but it is already spreading across the state and can carry a disease that can infect cattle. There are currently no known treatments or vaccines for the disease, and it could cost ranchers a lot of money.

The U.S. meat industry is gigantic, with roughly $200 billion a year in sales and growing. But the industry faces emerging threats on two fronts: plant...