COUNTER- BALANCING EXTREMISM
ADOBE STOCK
While some people will claim that amendments to state constitutions are unnecessary , all we have to do is look at the legislation , litigation and ballot initiatives taking place every year across the country to know this isn ’ t true .
The Sportsmen ’ s Alliance tracked more 1,000 bills nationwide this session , and we ’ re currently involved in six state or federal lawsuits . Our organization was formed in response to an anti-trapping initiative in Ohio in 1977 , and we ’ ve defended many states from ballot-box attacks since — including sportsmanfriendly states like Montana and Maine .
Right to Hunt and Fish Amendments still recognize state authority to regulate hunting and fishing , and private property rights aren ’ t weakened . In short , sportsmen don ’ t have carte blanche authorization to hunt and fish anywhere they want at any time . What these constitutional amendments do provide , however , is a legal hurdle antihunters must overcome when crafting legislation and ballot initiatives , while giving sportsmen a legal argument to protect those attacked methods and means .
For instance , in recent years Florida has seen ballot initiatives and legislation to limit or completely prohibit hunting , including :
• Legislation that mandated a minimum weight for black bears , another bill that would have listed black bears as endangered and yet another bill that sought to ban black bear hunting for 10 years .
• A ballot initiative that would have banned recreational hunting of black bears and mountain lions forever , regardless of current or future population sizes , distribution , density , depredation or human-wildlife conflicts .
• A ballot initiative to ban the hunting of native and non-native captive-raised birds and animals , including quail released to supplement wild populations on hunting preserves .
In two states where potential constitutional amendments failed to pass the legislatures , Montana and Oregon , animal-rights activists have tried to force their ideology down the throats of citizens . In seemingly safe Montana , the aforementioned ballot initiative tried to end trapping on public lands and prior sessions have seen legislation to end predator management tactics introduced in the legislature . In Oregon , where nothing is too crazy to imagine , activists pushed , and are currently working , to qualify a ballot initiative that ends all use of animals for food , clothing or entertainment — including training pets , livestock breeding and slaughter , hunting and fishing . The only acceptable reason for killing an animal under this ballot initiative would be in an act of selfdefense .
A constitutional protection in these states would make it harder to write such legislation and ballot initiatives and would serve as legal standing to challenge any bill or initiative that was passed .
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