UPDATE: At the last Take Back Kentucky meeting, the gang there decided to vote no on this. Norm says vote yes. I will hopefully talk to him this weekend and get his take.
The following sneaky Kentucky constitutional amendment, HB1, is on the ballot this November:
“Are you in favor of amending the Kentucky Constitution to state that the citizens of Kentucky have the personal right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, subject to laws and regulations that promote conservation and preserve the future of hunting and fishing, and to state that public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildife?”
Do you see anything here that could potentially affect your freedom to hunt for food? Oh, yeah. It’s here:
“… subject to laws and regulations that promote conservation…”
This means laws and administrative regulations TO BE ADOPTED. Coming soon. This does not say these activities are restricted to current law, but opens the door to new laws and regulations to be passed. Which will be binding per this amendment.
Passing this basically says you can hunt and fish (but only using traditional methods) as you please… as long as the state and unelected bureaucrats making laws via regulation allow it. Does this sit right with you?
But, wait, there’s more:
The amendment goes on to say it means to “…preserve the future of hunting and fishing…”
Meaning laws and regulations to be enacted in the future to preserve the future of hunting and fishing. Finally, there’s this:
“…public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.”
“Preferred”? Is the only reason to hunt and fish to manage and control wildlife?
The fact is, we already enjoy this right in Kentucky.
It’s already protected. We don’t need this amendment. So why is it here? Nobody knows for sure, but the language opens doors to restrictions later on. What the state giveth, the state can take away.
Might we need some limits on hunting and fishing?
Perhaps. But when we do, let’s keep it local to our specific areas. Do you want the federal government telling you whether or not you can hunt and fish on your own land? On state land open to hunting and fishing, land that your tax dollars support?
Keep the door shut. Vote NO on Kentucky Constitutional Amendment HB1!
And spread the word. If you don’t know that Kentucky already enjoys this right, this amendment looks pretty good. This amendment is written so that many people will simply be tricked into a YES vote. This in itself is unconscionable.
The agrarian part of the state and Kentuckians who hunt and fish get it (or will easily), but city-slickers could be fooled into thinking this was giving us a freedom we didn’t have before. They might even be happy with the suggestion of future limitations.
Go here to see if your representative is sponsoring this: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/11rs/HB1.htm. Then write to him or her and tell them to un-sponsor it and get their fellow legislators to kill the bill! If that legislator has an opponent in November’s election, get the opponent on board: use this against any incumbent who is sponsoring this bill!
At first glance, HB1 sounds as if you are being given a surprise gift, confirming that you’re free to hunt and fish. But, as you read on, it’s clear somebody is sharpening the saw, waiting for the right time to intrude on you later.
Sort of… it turns out that TBK decided against, but Norm — who was not at the last meeting — says to vote for. I amended the above and will hopefully speak to him this weekend. I’ll report back.
Sally,
Didn’t this get retracted~?
Ah, we need to protect political cowards and curtailing our rights in support of that is an appropriate response? C’mon.
We are so broke, let the Sierra Club sue. You can’t get blood from a stone. Bring on the bankruptcy so we can rebuild. It’s coming anyway…
I’m still undecided on this.
In theory, this protects the state from lawsuits from the Sierra Club and other like-minded organizations that had theoretically sued other states, claiming that their hunting laws are animal cruelty. Perhaps it would be wiser to repeal the moronic portions of the animal cruelty laws, than it would be to create even more law amending the last law, which amended another law, etc… We need fewer laws, not more laws.
But since our politicians are political cowards (generally speaking), this might be the best we can do. I don’t know.