JEFFERSON CITY — A House committee is considering two constitutional amendments, one that would guarantee the right of individuals to hunt and fish and the other adopting a structural overhaul of the Missouri Conservation Commission .
House Joint Resolution 82, introduced by Rep. John BlackR-Marshfield, would let Missouri residents vote on giving individuals a constitutional right to hunt and fish, subject to the “duly authorized powers of the conservation commission.”
This was the second time Black introduced a resolution proposing such a constitutional right. Last year, his proposal passed the House but died in the Senate. Black said during his testimony that hunting and fishing are an “important heritage and fundamental right." He also noted that many states have a similar constitutional right.
Currently, 23 states have constitutional provisions guaranteeing individuals the right to hunt and fish, while California and Rhode Island provide a constitutional right to fish.
“In many ways, I believe this bill is nonpartisan,” Black told the House Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources. “Many people from all walks of life in this state enjoy hunting and fishing.”
Lawmakers seemed split on the proposal, with Republicans supporting it and Democrats opposing it. Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore, D-St. Louis, said she would vote against the resolution.
“What concerns me is if we say you have a right to hunt and fish no matter what,” Moore said, “I’m concerned about overharvesting.”
Several Republican supporters expressed concerns over interest groups threatening to ban hunting as a reason to support the resolution.
Rep. Tim Taylor, R-Bunceton, pointed to a 2020 change.org petition started by a national advocacy group, OneProtest, which urged Missouri to stop its bear hunting season as an example of the threat.
However, some seemed to think the resolution did not go far enough.
Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, said letting the Conservation Commission regulate hunting and fishing would render the proposal “a feel-good deal” that “doesn’t do anything.”
Rob Elder, the communications director of the Missouri Hunting and Working Dog Alliance, expressed a similar concern. He wanted the provision subjecting the right to hunt and fish to the commission to be taken out.
“I’m not for giving them more authority than what they already have,” he said.
According to the Missouri Constitution, the Conservation Commission has the power to control, manage, restore, conserve and regulate all wildlife resources in the state. There are four members on the panel, with no more than two members from the same political party. They are appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate.
House Joint Resolution 107 proposes to expand the number of commissioners to eight, with one from each congressional district. The proposal also would change the appointment system to nonpartisan elections, where candidates would not declare their political affiliation.
Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Annapolis, who introduced this resolution, said Missouri is a diverse state with different types of wildlife living in different parts of the state, so expanding the commission would make it more diverse. In addition, she said elected commissioners will know the residents in their districts better.
Supporters of this resolution said having elected commissioners would increase the representation of rural voices. Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, said since the current commissioners were not from his counties, they would not understand the types of hunting going on in his area.
Leon Michel, a resident of Shannon County, Mo., said the Conservation Commission members were unresponsive to the opinions of residents. “They are like kids in a candy store with way too much money and way too much power,” he said.
Those concerned with the resolution feared opening the commission to election would politicize it. They also were worried about national interest groups gaining disproportionate influence over these elections with large campaign donations.
Rep. Paula Brown, D-Hazelwood, said, “I get a little worried about national organizations coming in and playing in our state.”
Those who opposed the resolution said they believed the commission was functioning well.
Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation Sara Parker Pauley said the changes proposed were unnecessary since the current commission is effective, partly because of the “efficiency of a small commission” and “members having statewide responsibility, not regional interests.”
“We believe the proposed legislation would lead to regional parochialism and competing interests,” she said, “rather than looking at the conservation priorities of the state.”
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January 31, 2022 at 07:30AM
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House committee considers constitutional amendments on right to hunt and fish - Columbia Missourian
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