Kentucky Hunting and Fishing Amendment (2012)

Hunting and Fishing Amendment
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Type:	Constitutional amendment
Constitution:	Kentucky Constitution
Referred by:	Kentucky State Legislature
Topic:	Hunting
Status:	On the ballot

The Kentucky Hunting and Fishing Question will appear on the November 6, 2012 general election ballot in the state of Kentucky as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment. The measure would protect the right of residents to hunt and fish in the state. It was sponsored by Representatives Leslie Combs and Greg Stumbo. The measure was proposed in order to mandate that hunting and fishing should never be outlawed in the state without the vote of the people.

The measure was introduced in Kentucky's 2011 legislative session. According to Stumbo: "That's a big step I think in the right direction to help not only this generation of sportsmen, but the next. We have a wonderful heritage of sports in this state. Kentucky was and still is the happy hunting ground."

Text of measure

Summary

The summary of the bill reads:

An Act proposing to amend the Constitution of Kentucky relating to hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife.

Support

Supporters

• Bill Haycraft, president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen, commented on animal rights groups and the possibility of those groups lobbying for making hunting illegal, "They have lots of money. They're highly educated. And if they can swing it with the legislatures, they will do it."
• According to House Speaker Greg Stumbo, "The real meat of this amendment to me is that it guarantees that the wildlife herds and our fishery population will be controlled by wildlife management."

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Kentucky Constitution

On February 8, 2011, the Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee voted to approve the measure, passing the amendment to the Kentucky House of Representatives for full debate and vote. The measure was then approved by the House, sending the measure to the Kentucky State Senate for a similar vote. Then, on March 1, 2011, the Senate State and Local Government Committee voted to approve the measure with a unanimous vote, placing the measure for a full chamber debate and vote. On March 4, 2011, the measure was approved and will appear on the statewide ballot in 2012.

60% of the membership of each chamber of the Kentucky General Assembly must approve of a proposed amendment in order for it to appear on the next general election during which members of the state legislature are up for election.

Timeline

The following is a timeline of events surrounding the measure:

Event	Date	Developments
Vote	Feb. 11, 2011	Kentucky House of Representatives approve the measure.
Vote	Mar. 4, 2011	Kentucky State Senate approves measure, sending it to the ballot.

See also

By Al Ortiz Ballot measure writer

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• Kentucky 2012 ballot measures
• Kentucky House of Representatives
• 2012 ballot measures

Articles

• Right to hunt and fish being discussed in Kentucky
• Hunting amendment snags place on 2012 ballot in Kentucky

External links

• League of Kentucky Sportsmen official website

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