Make Hunting and Fishing Constitutional Rights in Washington State

[huntrights]

"Texas: Protect Your Right to Hunt & Fish – Urge Your Lawmaker to Support HJR 61 and SJR 22"
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150109/texas-protect-your-right-to-hunt-fish-urge-your-lawmaker-to-support-hjr-61-and-sjr-22

Friday, January 09, 2015
"Today, state Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) pre-filed Senate Joint Resolution 22, proposing an amendment to the Texas constitution that protects the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife in the Lone Star State.  An identical measure, House Joint Resolution 61, was pre-filed in the House on December 17.

HJR 61, introduced by state Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), and SJR 22, sponsored by Senator Creighton, would ensure that future wildlife conservation and management decisions are based on sound science in order to preserve Texas' hunting heritage for generations to come. Language for the resolution includes the following:

The people have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to laws or regulations to conserve and manage wildlife and preserve the future of hunting and fishing. Hunting and fishing are preferred methods of managing and controlling wildlife. ..."

[bearpaw]

Thanks for the updates! 

[huntrights]

We can do this.  It's all about timing, the right representation in the legislature, creating alliances within the hunting and fishing communities to fully support the effort, and educating the public so they are not misled like they were with I-594.

[huntrights]

Take time to read some of what other states are proposing and the wording they use.  Talk to your family, friends, and colleagues about pursuing this in Washington State.  The hunting, fishing, and trapping communities must become very familiar with proposing and supporting any efforts to add an amendment to the Washington State Constitution regarding the right of public to hunt, fish and trap wildlife.


Indiana

Senate Joint Resolution 2
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/resolutions/senate/joint/2#digest-heading

PDF Version
https://iga.in.gov/static-documents/0/b/b/e/0bbe15f0/SJ0002.02.COMS.pdf

"Constitutional amendment to enshrine right to hunt, fish"
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/26/constitutional-amendment-enshrine-right-hunt-fish/22357993/


Nevada
"Proposes to amend the Nevada Constitution to preserve the right to hunt, trap and fish in this State"
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Reports/history.cfm?ID=513

PDF Version
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/78th2015/Bills/SJR/SJR11.pdf

"Senators propose constitutional right to hunt, fish, trap"
http://www.8newsnow.com/story/28417053/senators-propose-constitutional-right-to-hunt-fish-trap


Arizona
"Bill Text: AZ HCR2014 | 2015 | Fifty-second Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced"
https://legiscan.com/AZ/text/HCR2014/id/1072776

HCR2014 hunting and fishing; constitutional rights
http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Session_ID=114&Bill_Number=HCR2014

PDF Version
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/52leg/1r/bills/hcr2014p.pdf


Kansas
HCR 5008 - Right of public to hunt, fish and trap
http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/hcr5008/

PDF Version
http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/documents/hcr5008_00_0000.pdf

Kansas: Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment Introduced
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150124/kansas-constitutional-right-to-hunt-and-fish-amendment-introduced


Texas
"Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife"
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HJR61

PDF Version
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/pdf/HJ00061I.pdf#navpanes=0


New Jersey
ACR12 Proposes constitutional amendment to preserve right of people to fish, hunt, trap and harvest fish and wildlife
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp

PDF Version
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/ACR/12_I1.PDF


New York
Bill A1159-2015
Relates to the right to hunt, trap and fish; provides for regulation by the state
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/A1159-2015

PDF Version
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/1.0/pdf/bill/A1159-2015

[huntrights]

Texas
"Senate passes constitutional amendment to protect hunting, fishing rights"
Published: April 1, 2015
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/04/senate-passes-constitutional-amendment-to-protect-hunting-fishing-rights.html/

[huntrights]

Excerpt from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) website:

http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-constitutional-right-to-hunt-and-fish.aspx

"3/26/2015    Douglas Shinkle"

"State Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish"

"2015 Update

Currently in 2015, 9 states—Indiana,  Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Texas—are debating bills that would add a constitutional right to hunt and fish. West Virginia considered two bills, but they both failed."

[DOUBLELUNG]

Survey after survey of the public - including liberal Washington - shows strong public support for legal, regulated hunting and fishing.  However, unless properly surveyed, the nonsporting public tends to lump all killing of fish and wildlife (e.g., poaching and thrill killing are part of hunting and fishing), resulting in much lower support levels.  The vast majority of the adult public supports legal, regulated hunting and fishing for sustenance and to protect public safety, with strong margins (85% of all adults nationwide, Responsive Management 2006).  It is also >80% for wildlife population control and general wildlife management.  >70% to protect property.  Even for sport, a slight majority. 

I think a constitutional amendment that includes legal and regulated hunting and fishing has a great chance of passing, even in Washington state.

[HillSlick]

Love checkin this thread, awesome!


Husky Hillbilly

[huntrights]

Oregon

http://oregonoutdoorcouncil.org/right-to-hunt-fish-constitutional-amendment-legislative-update/
"March 10, 2015 – by Dominic Aiello, President
Right to Hunt & Fish Constitutional Amendment & Legislative Update"

[huntrights]

Texas Legislature Approves NRA Backed Constitutional Amendment Protecting the Right to Hunt, Fish and Harvest Wildlife

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150520/texas-legislature-approves-nra-backed-constitutional-amendment-protecting-the-right-to-hunt-fish-and-harvest-wildlife

[huntrights]

"Texas: Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment will Appear as Proposition 6 on the November 2015 Ballot!"

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150617/texas-right-to-hunt-and-fish-constitutional-amendment-will-appear-as-proposition-6-on-the-november-2015-ballot

[huntrights]

"Texas Voters Overwhelmingly Approve NRA-Backed Proposition 6!"

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20151104/texas-voters-overwhelmingly-approve-nra-backed-proposition-6

[huntrights]

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH
http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-constitutional-right-to-hunt-and-fish.aspx

Excerpt from website:

"STATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH
11/9/2015         Douglas Shinkle

Nineteen states guarantee the right to hunt and fish in their constitutions, with 17 of those approved via the voters. While Vermont's language dates back to 1777, the rest of these constitutional provisions—in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming—have passed since 1996. California and Rhode Island have language in their respective constitutions guaranteeing the right to fish, but not to hunt. Advocates also consider Alaska’s constitutional language—“Wherever occurring in their natural state, fish, wildlife, and waters are reserved to the people for common use”—as meeting the test because of its strong case law history.

2015 Update

Texas voters overwhelming approved enshrining the right to hunt and fish in the state’s constitution on November 2nd.  The Nevada legislature also passed such language in 2015, but it must pass another legislative session before it is put on the ballot for voters to decide.

Michigan, New Jersey and New York are still considering legislation that would refer a constitutional right to hunt and fish to voters. Kansas, Maine, Oregon and West Virginia debated bills in 2015, but they failed to advance."

 

[huntrights]

"Kansas: Protect the Right to Hunt and Fish"

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20160120/kansas-protect-the-right-to-hunt-and-fish

[huntrights]

Kansas: Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment Headed to House Floor on Monday
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20160219/kansas-right-to-hunt-and-fish-constitutional-amendment-headed-to-house-floor-on-monday