Florida Voters to Decide Whether to Enshrine Fishing and Hunting as a Constitutional Right

Introduction

On November 2022, Florida voters will decide whether to enshrine fishing and hunting as a constitutional right. This has become a hotly debated issue, with the amendment’s backers acknowledging the need to protect Florida’s cultural heritage from “anti-hunting” threats. On the other hand, opponents argue that it could lead to “objectionable” hunting practices and unnecessary wildlife deaths. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this issue, what the proposed amendment aims to achieve, and the different perspectives surrounding it.

Background

Florida statutes already recognize the right to fish and hunt as a “valued part of the cultural heritage of Florida”. However, the proposed amendment aims to “preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife”.

The proposed amendment will not limit the authority of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and it has garnered bipartisan support. Lawmakers placed the initiative on the ballot last year. It passed unanimously in the Florida House and 38-1 in the Senate, with Democratic Sen. Lauren Book casting the sole “no” vote.

Arguments For the Amendment

The proposed amendment is supported by outdoors groups, the National Rifle Association, the American Sportfishing Association, the Congressional Sportsman’s Association, and other groups. Backers argue that the amendment is necessary to combat future “anti-hunting” challenges. Martha Guyas, the southeast fisheries policy director for the American Sportfishing Association, says that fishing and hunting have been challenged in other states. Guyas referenced a 2022 animal cruelty initiative in Oregon that critics said would have criminalized hunting, fishing and certain livestock management practices in the state. This initiative did not make the ballot.

Rodney Barreto, vice chairperson of Yes On 2, the committee backing the amendment, said he wants to see hunting and fishing protections cast “in stone for future generations.” He believes that it’s a lifestyle in Florida and it’s about the way Floridians were brought up, and they have the right to have that not be taken away.

Arguments Against the Amendment

The proposed amendment has sparked opposition from groups like the Animal Law Section of the Florida Bar and Sierra Club Florida. Opponents argue that the amendment is unnecessary and could permit practices harmful to Florida’s wildlife.

Chuck O’Neal, chair of NoTo2.org, the committee opposing the amendment, believes that making fishing and hunting the “preferred means” of wildlife management could mean invasive animals are killed instead of relocated. He is concerned about the impact of this on black bears, as interactions between humans and the animals have increased in recent years. He also argues that allowing “traditional methods” of fishing and hunting could justify trophy hunting, steel traps, and other “primitive” techniques.

O’Neal is also worried that hunters could use the amendment to justify hunting on private property. He believes that hunting is not outlawed in any state and there is little evidence of future threats to it in Florida. O’Neal and the Animal Law Section of the Florida Bar wrote an op-ed in May, saying that “What there is evidence of is the threat that Florida’s proposed constitutional amendment would present to wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole.”

Who’s Supporting and Opposing the Amendment

Yes On 2, the group sponsoring the amendment, has raised more than $450,000, including $100,000 from Florida’s agriculture commissioner, Wilton Simpson, and $250,000 from T. Roosevelt Action, a pro-hunting political committee. That’s hundreds of thousands more than NoTo2.org, which has raised just over $5,000. Most of those are individual donations ranging from $5 to $1,000.

Conclusion

The amendment needs the support of at least 60% of voters to pass in November. Other issues on the ballot include amendments on school board elections, marijuana, abortion, inflation, and campaign finance. With different groups in support and opposition, it remains to be seen what Florida voters will decide in November.

Originally Post From https://www.tampabay.com/news/2024/06/24/how-floridas-amendment-2-could-affect-hunting-fishing/

Florida’s Amendment 2 and Its Impact on Hunting and Fishing in Tampa Bay Times