Good to see our legislators laser focused on the pressing issues of our state:
A House subcommittee last week advanced a resolution to add hunting and fishing rights to the Iowa Constitution.
It is the first step of a yearslong process to potentially amend the constitution. The resolution would require approval by the House and Senate in two successive General Assemblies before it is put to a vote by the public.
The proposed amendment — introduced by Rep. Dean Fisher, a Montour Republican — would establish a right to hunt, fish, trap and otherwise harvest wildlife, "subject to reasonable laws."
It also says those activities are the preferred ways to manage and control wildlife.
Fisher and Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, during a meeting Wednesday, recommended the resolution to the full Natural Resources committee. Rep. Eric Gjerde, D-Cedar Rapids, said it is unnecessary.
"Hunting, from my perspective, is not at threat in Iowa," Gjerde said, noting that he fished and hunted early in life.
The constitutional amendment is opposed by the Sierra Club of Iowa and The Humane Society of the United States, which argue it might hamper the ability for state officials to regulate hunting and to control wildlife populations with other, non-lethal methods.
The Humane Society worries the protections for "traditional methods" of hunting might enable undesirable practices of baiting and a broader use of dogs.
"It seems to be defined rather vaguely," said Angela Caulk, of the Humane Society. "We would love to maybe work with the committee to see if there's a way we could tighten that language up a little bit."
Hunting groups say the amendment is necessary to protect against future restrictions. Public areas for hunting and fishing represent a relatively small percentage of the state compared with other states, primarily because so much of Iowa is farmed. More than 80 percent of the state is used to grow crops and raise livestock.
"We don't have a lot of access to begin with, just because we don't have a lot of land," said Marc Beltrame, of Ducks Unlimited. "That's where the constitutional amendment comes in, is to make sure that we're protecting that right against the infringement at the local level."
Public hunting areas are most often overseen by counties or the state.
It's unclear when the House Natural Resources committee might consider the resolution.
Amending the Iowa Constitution requires passage of the amendment in consecutive meetings of the Iowa General Assembly — separate sessions of the Iowa Legislature separated by a general election — and then a majority of Iowa voters in a general election.
www.thegazette.com
A House subcommittee last week advanced a resolution to add hunting and fishing rights to the Iowa Constitution.
It is the first step of a yearslong process to potentially amend the constitution. The resolution would require approval by the House and Senate in two successive General Assemblies before it is put to a vote by the public.
The proposed amendment — introduced by Rep. Dean Fisher, a Montour Republican — would establish a right to hunt, fish, trap and otherwise harvest wildlife, "subject to reasonable laws."
It also says those activities are the preferred ways to manage and control wildlife.
Fisher and Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, during a meeting Wednesday, recommended the resolution to the full Natural Resources committee. Rep. Eric Gjerde, D-Cedar Rapids, said it is unnecessary.
"Hunting, from my perspective, is not at threat in Iowa," Gjerde said, noting that he fished and hunted early in life.
The constitutional amendment is opposed by the Sierra Club of Iowa and The Humane Society of the United States, which argue it might hamper the ability for state officials to regulate hunting and to control wildlife populations with other, non-lethal methods.
The Humane Society worries the protections for "traditional methods" of hunting might enable undesirable practices of baiting and a broader use of dogs.
"It seems to be defined rather vaguely," said Angela Caulk, of the Humane Society. "We would love to maybe work with the committee to see if there's a way we could tighten that language up a little bit."
Hunting groups say the amendment is necessary to protect against future restrictions. Public areas for hunting and fishing represent a relatively small percentage of the state compared with other states, primarily because so much of Iowa is farmed. More than 80 percent of the state is used to grow crops and raise livestock.
"We don't have a lot of access to begin with, just because we don't have a lot of land," said Marc Beltrame, of Ducks Unlimited. "That's where the constitutional amendment comes in, is to make sure that we're protecting that right against the infringement at the local level."
Public hunting areas are most often overseen by counties or the state.
It's unclear when the House Natural Resources committee might consider the resolution.
Amending the Iowa Constitution requires passage of the amendment in consecutive meetings of the Iowa General Assembly — separate sessions of the Iowa Legislature separated by a general election — and then a majority of Iowa voters in a general election.
Hunting, fishing, trapping would be constitutional rights in Iowa under proposed amendment
A House subcommittee last week advanced a resolution to add hunting and fishing rights to the Iowa Constitution. The would establish a right to hunt, fish, trap and otherwise harvest wildlife,
www.thegazette.com
