Idaho Voters approve right to hunt constitutional amendment.
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Flickr Public Commons: thekevinchang
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho voters decided Tuesday to constitutionally enshrine the right to hunt, fish and trap animals.
HJR 2 easily passed but even among those who voted for, some had regrets. Supporter Daniel Malloy, a Ron Paul Republican, explained why:
“There are forces at play within this state that I’ve had to deal with personally that came to me and said, ‘do you realize that if we put this on the constitution we’ll never be able to get rid of you know, hunting fishing or trapping.’ And I thought - that’s exactly the point.”
Malloy feels many in the state including lawmakers were forced to vote for this constitutional amendment to protect hunting and fishing.
Idaho state Representative Phylis King was among those who didn’t like the bundling of the right to trap animals along with fishing and hunting rights in a single measure.
“Trapping I think is cruel,” said King. She was one of a few Idaho lawmakers who voted against referring HJR 2 to Idaho voters.
“Nobody is denying anyone the right to hunt and fish right now” says King, “why do we need it?”
Idaho joins 13 other states with similar constitutional amendments. Wyoming, Kentucky and Nebraska also had right-to-hunt measures on this year’s ballots.
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