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Idaho voters will decide whether they want to constitutionally protect the right to hunt, fish, and trap.
credit:
thekevinchang / Flickr Creative Commons
Voters in Idaho will be asked next month to make some additions to the state constitution.
House Joint Resolution 2 is less than two pages long and adds hunting, fishing and trapping to list of rights preserved in Idaho’s Constitution.
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter says the authors of the measure wanted to protect these outdoor activities for future generations.
“I think the motivation was to make sure that there was a continuum in that tradition that we have in Idaho,” he said in an interview. “I think the only danger and I warned them about this, that the only danger that we run is what if it fails? What’s that going to tell us?”
Opponents call the right to hunt measure frivolous. Greg Moore chairs the “Vote No on HJR 2” Committee based in central Idaho. He says no one is seeking to deny state citizens the right to hunt, fish or trap. He says the state constitution should be reserved for basic human rights issues.
Moore has other concerns about HJR 2. He believes it could change the way policy decisions are made in the future.
“That it creates a perpetual right to hunt and fish but also to trap. And unlike hunting and fishing, trapping is a cruel and prolonged way to kill animals,” he said.
Regardless the outcome in Idaho’s vote on HJR 2, both sides agree on this: it’s unlikely there will be any noticeable change; Hunting, fishing and trapping will continue in Idaho.
Listen to the full EarthFix conversation with Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter on HJR 2 here.
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