UTAH BILL AIMS TO MAKE HUNTING A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT- Rep. Casey Snider, R-Paradise, has sponsored a constitutional amendment to make hunting a right in Utah. House Joint Resolution 15 was filed Friday, Feb. 7th. Consequently, the Bill is asking the Utah State Legislature to legally protect the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. If the proposed amendment passes through the Legislature it would go before voters later this year.
“the individual right of the people to hunt, to fish, and to harvest wildlife is a valued part of the State’s heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good.”
H.J.R. 15 Proposal Contents
The amendment contents include:
- The individual right of the people to hunt, to fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of the State’s heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good.
- The right under Subsection (1) includes the right to use traditional methods to hunt,
fish, and harvest wildlife. Subject only to statute, rules adopted under the authority of the statue. - Promote wildlife conservation and management. And preserve the future of hunting, fishing, and wildlife harvesting.
Readers interested in the proposed amendment should certainly check out the Legislature website here.
Constitutional Right to Hunt
Twenty-one other states have constitutional rights to hunt and fish. Vermont has the oldest amendment dating back to 1777. Many other states including Idaho and Virginia have constitutional provisions that have passed since 1996. California and Rhode Island both have language in their constitutions that guarantees the right to fish, but not to hunt. Alaska’s language states “Wherever occurring in their natural state, fish, wildlife, and waters are reserved to the people for common use.” Sadly, more than half the country doesn’t have and legislative protection for hunting. Because of constitutes concern that hunting may be taken away from them. Therefore, more states continue to bring the right to hunt to the legislative floor. For instance, Kansas voters approved amendments to their state constitution to include the right to hunt and fish.
So, did your state vote to have the Right to hunt and fish? If it did, how do you feel about it? Let us know in the comments.
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