Back at home, a lesser but bitter conflict between a few hunting zealots and lovers of wildlife continues (at least according to the alert below). If true, it suggests that the lame-duck session of the Legislature could prove to live up to its name in a sick way. After the stress and anger over the newly-established dove hunting season in Michigan (and Minnesota), it's time to let things stand as they are. This legislation is not needed. But the Michigan Legislature web site says the bill came out of committee Thursday and can be voted on as early as next session day.
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ACTION ALERT, LAME DUCK THREAT TO DOVE REFERENDUM - November 4, 2004
Here we go again: For the lame duck session, Rep. Susan Tabor [D-71] and
her cronies (see co-sponsors here
http://www.mileg.org/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=2004-HB-6272)
recently introduced House Bill 6272. This bill is immediately scheduled to
go through Tabor's Natural Resources Committee this Thursday, November 11th
at 10:30am. It is then expected to hit the full House for floor vote later
that very same day or around the Thanksgiving Holiday (when you are busy
and distracted).
HB 6272, as introduced, would change the "mission" of the DNR and NRC from
managing wildlife held in trust with input from the public through their
legislators, to arbitrarily mandating and directing the agencies to promote
the re-classification of every protected non-game animal possible to the
game list in order to establish open seasons on them.
Buried within misleading buzz words, such as "preserve and promote the
heritage," is a direct threat to ALL protected non-game species. By design,
this bill will be used to unfairly manipulate the system and "stack the
deck" in the legislature, the courts, and ON BALLOT ISSUES that protect the
peoples' constitutional rights to participate in the decision making
process.
This bill -- including future planned amendments -- is extremely dangerous
in many ways with far reaching repercussions (see additional talking points
below). It would effectively remove both the democratic process and
protections currently afforded the people of the state of Michigan
pertaining to wildlife issues. In short, HB 6272 is a spin-off of the
section [Sec 40110] in HB 5029 that was removed in committee regarding
legislative authority -- this was done as a calculated plan to use
political sleight of hand tricks and dirty politics to undermine the
statewide ballot referendum (that's us) in the lame duck session (see
similar/previous attempts here
http://www.savethedoves.org/archivedactionalerts.html).
Dove shooting proponents have a long list of traditionally protected
animals they want to add to the game list: wild birds, mammals, reptiles
and amphibians that have been protected as non-game species since game laws
were originally established. They don't want to repeat the 25 year battle
they faced with the mourning dove to stop them from their other "wants". .
. so they'll just remove your voice and vote from the process altogether
and in their words, "let you jabber at the NRC in vain."
Sadly, the Sandhill crane is targeted as an immediate "next." Dove and
crane shooting proponents smack their lips as they trivialize this
magnificent species as "big, noisy, tasty birds that fly fast and make
great targets."
WHAT YOU CAN DO -- CALL TODAY:
1) Call your Representative. Find your Rep here
http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp or call 517-373-0135 and ask to be
connected with your Rep.
2) Call your Senator. Find your Senator here
http://www.senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/senfull2003.htm or call
517-373-2400 and ask to be connected with your Senator.
Get your family, friends, and co-workers to call as well...each "vote"
counts separately.