Michigan Legislators Who Support Hunting and Fishing, and those who don't

[djkimmel]

Sorry I missed your post completely. I'm behind on checking in a lot lately. Lots of family 'fun' going on. I'll still answer as much of this as well as I can tomorrow. I have similar questions I've answered on Facebook but I and others have posted a lot so it needs repeating and organizing because we'll be going through this over and over.

[djkimmel]

Dan,
     I was wondering a few things first off on the frontage of the website it says the NRC still gets scientific fish and wildlife management back regardless of the outcome of the vote?  Why is this?  Secondly and this is no bash on anything I can not find the answer that explains this question enough why should we ever vote for anything that takes the power of the people by the way of voting away, the way I read the proposed prop is that the NRC would have complete authority over all when it comes to fishing and hunting and the legislation would have no power.  Without the legislation having power wouldn't we as citizens be putting all of our trust in the NRC which we have no power over.  I could be wrong I don't not understand why I or any voter would give absolute power to anyone or group that we have no power in controling?  I do not believe that this HSUS group are good and I agree they are using money to attempt to "scare" us but giving total power to a different group who says they are in our corner today is kind of scary if I am reading things right.  Thank for all the info you are putting out there most of it is helpful but kind of overwhelming.  Thanks!!

When we passed our Citizens' Initiative petition law - the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (SFWCA) - through both chambers of our state legislature in August (the Senate on the 13th and the House on the 27th – Governor Snyder did not need to sign though he would have) as we wrote it originally in 2013 because this new version KEPT the $1 Million appropriation for invasive species emergency fund it is NOT subject to referendum. Therefore the Proposals 1 and 2 votes cannot change our SFWCA law.

When the SFWCA takes effect 90 days after the close of this legislature session the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) gets their authority back as Public Act 21 of 2013 clarified – to manage fish and wildlife using sound science from the MDNR and other experts, and listening to users groups and citizens – it is a very public body.

Remember, the NRC was created way back in 1922 to keep emotion and partisan politics out of our Michigan natural resource management. This is not a new concept. The H$U$ has been pushing this idea to create the illusion of peoples' rights being taken away because they know it resonates now more than ever.

Speaking of illusion no one has taken away the power of the people to vote. That is just part of the H$U$ tactic to enrage the public over everything EXCEPT the fact that what the H$U$ is really trying to do it attack hunting and fishing on a large scale by overturning the 63% favored 1996 Proposal G and the whole idea of why the NRC was created. That was the H$U$ real target not wolf hunting. The wolf issue just created a convenient excuse for H$U$ to advance their agenda.

H$U$ followed the Michigan Constitution as is anyone's right to run the easier referendum petition drives. Referendum petitions require about 2% of Michigan citizens eligible to vote to be valid – a little less than 162,000. We (Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management CPWM) followed the Michigan Constitution too as is anyone's right to run the more difficult Citizens' Initiative that requires about 3% of Michigan citizens eligible to vote to be valid – a little less than 259,000.

See the following link for the latest requirement for the various citizen-initiated petitions drives as of 2013: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Ini_Ref_Pet_Website_339487_7.pdf

The referendum petition laws go to a general vote of everyone in November. The citizens' initiated petition laws goes to the Legislature and the Legislature has 45 days only to vote on the whole law as defined in the petition. This is not a lot of time for a legislative law, especially over the summer! If the Legislature doesn't vote or pass the citizens' initiative petition law it goes to a November vote.

We did NOTHING illegal, inappropriate or suspect. You can be assured that if H$U$ had even a faint hope of passing our majority pro-hunting, pro-fishing Legislature they would have ran a citizens' initiative petition drive and rammed it through to overturn Proposal G, Public Act 21 of 2013 and dismantle the NRC in one fell swoop. But H$U$ knows they have zero chance in our present state government, thank goodness for anyone who cares about hunting and fishing!

H$U$ had to try to convince people what they did was for the good of the people and what we did was usurp the power of the people. Horse-puckey! There's nothing H$U$ does related to hunting and fishing that is good for anyone other than anti-hunters and anti-anglers. I question H$U$ does anything good for anyone INCLUDING animals considering they could give a $100 MILLION per year to pet and animal shelters but instead they give a measly 1% according to their own tax returns. They should lose their tax exempt status in my opinion.

It is just the misleading modus operandi of H$U$ to confuse people over the truth. The truth is the NRC was formed to manage our fish and wildlife using sound science. We didn't define it properly until H$U$ and other animal rights groups forced us into another corner culminating in the 1996 passing of Proposal G that clarified the NRC authority by a 63% majority. When H$U$ attacked again in 2012-13 we had to further clarify using our legislature to pass the two public acts H$U$ ran their referendums on.

The biggest lie of all, and most misleading is the whole idea of 'sole authority.' We gave the NRC the same authority they've always had or were intended to have. Proposal G in 1996 actually clarified this but failed to define fish clearly as wildlife. It possibly wasn't properly defined anywhere else. So Public Act 21 of 2013 re-affirmed Proposal G AND defined fisheries orders as being included.

We would have already been referendum-proof with Public Act 21 but the Legislature removed the $1 Million invasive species appropriation from that bill leaving us open. All we did with the SFWCA Citizens' Initiative petition law is repass Public Act 21 WITH the $1 Million appropriation this time. Same exact language.

What we definitely did not do is remove ANY rights of ANY Michigan voter to still run a Citizens' Initiative OR Michigan Constitution change petition drive, OR to seek legislation directly as ANY voter or state senator or representative can do through the Michigan Legislature. The reason H$U$ is crying foul is because: 1) it works to their advantage, obviously; 2) they do NOT have majority support in the Legislature to get legislation to directly overturn our scientific fish and wildlife scientific management process that has actually been in effect since 1922.

Any voter still can try. All they have to do is get a majority. They can still try to referendum anything that does not have an appropriation tied to it – that is allowed by our Constitution as protecting a law from a referendum petition is also allowed by our Constitution. Anyone can do it with enough support. Just as anyone can seek new legislation, or new legislators who are sympathetic to their cause. H$U$ is a trying very hard to unseat or pressure the Legislators who do not support their radical animals rights cause. I'm well aware of these efforts as I stay in touch with key legislators.

Another key clarification, in addition to people being able to change almost anything through legislation here, is that the Legislature STILL HAS AUTHORITY equal to the NRC for natural resources management. THEY DID NOT LOSE IT. I only shout this because H$U$ was so successful in completely hoodwinking so many voters and it simply is a bald-faced lie.

I'm pretty disappointed more citizens don't take their vote more seriously, and particularly hunting and fishing voters. It is easy to determine H$U$ was lying. I'm also disappointed ANY non-anti-hunting/fishing person would believe ANYTHING H$U$ says or supports. When has H$U$ told the truth or been honorable? Not in any circumstance I'm aware of. There is plenty of real news and facts to be found to discredit most of what H$U$ says and does. WE NEED TO BE SMARTER. I hope the new Michigan Wildlife Council can help with this! www.michigan.gov/miwc

I'm fine with the NRC having the authority they have. I do NOT want H$U$ to have authority! I'm fine with the balance the Legislature has. They also approve the Governor's MDNR budget and if you want oversight over ANYONE be in the position to approve OR DENY their budget – another H$U$ lie that neither the NRC nor the MDNR has oversight. They both do. NRC Commissioners are not untouchable and the MDNR is under the will of the Legislature when it comes to their complete operation. Plus, the Governor appoints the NRC Commissioners AND the MDNR Director. What can be appointed can also be fired.

We walk a fine line of balance on how much state government influence can affect the non-emotional, non-partisan politics management of our natural resources the NRC was meant to counter. I think the system works really good, not perfect. I liken it to our way of governing. People say Democracy is not a perfect form of governing but until we come up with something better it's pretty good. I feel the same way about the way Michigan intends to manage our critically important natural resources.

The only time it really gets messy is whenever the radical animal rights groups attack us in Michigan. They try to pit hunters against hunters, and anglers against anglers, and mislead everyone else into going along with things that advance their anti-pet, anti-hunting, anti-fishing, animal rights agenda. Definitely NOONE has absolute power. That's not how our government can work. Checks and balances are important. I can definitely say I'm biased towards less checks when it comes to our hunting, trapping and fishing, and our outdoors. I hope most hunters, anglers and people who like what is best for the outdoors feel similarly.

Sorry my answer is long again but there are many parts to the whole picture H$U$ and their helpers have painted so it takes a lot for someone like me to 'unpaint' it.

[Skulley]

I live in District 19 and my Rep is John Walsh.  Walsh voted in favor of.  He was on the fence for quite a while on this and after having several constituents here call him and the fact that I talked to him several times about this, he voted yes.  Thank you Representative Walsh.  This is good for Michigan and Michigan tourism.


BD                       

[djkimmel]

Yes it is. Who in their right mind would ever support the H$U$ agenda and money-making schemes? No one in their right mind.

[Skulley]

Yes it is. Who in their right mind would ever support the H$U$ agenda and money-making schemes? No one in their right mind.y

There are a lot of people in this world unfortunately whose minds aren't right. Those are the people. Fortunately for me, I don't know too many of them.......thank God.




BD.                         

[djkimmel]

On more important part step closer thanks again to our friends in the Legislature! Need to have SB 926 as amended in the House pass the Senate again now. Told we have the support to do so.