AR-News: (MI) Traverse City Record Eagle Criticizes Dove Hunting

[Political Animal]

April 6, 2004
EDITORIALS: MEA suit gets the boot; Dove hunting
backers take aim at voters, too
http://www.record-eagle.com/2004/apr/040604.htm

Dove hunting backers take aim at voters, too
      However one stands on the issue of whether to
allow Michigan hunters to blast mourning doves, there
should be no problem with letting state residents
decide what is essentially a social issue. 
      The state Senate doesn't think so. And northwest
Lower Michigan's three state senators - Jason Allen,
R-Traverse City, Michelle McManus, R-Lake Leelanau,
and Tony Stamas, R-Midland - obviously don't, either.
      Without comment, they voted to allow mourning
dove hunting and offered no provision for placing the
issue on the November ballot. The Senate's move wasn't
as cynically anti-voter as the House version that
passed last fall, when backers attempted to make it
"referendum-proof" by adding a meaningless allocation
of $350,000 for a phony "brochure" to explain the
season. ("Find a dove, aim at it, fire.")
      Senate backers knew this hot-potato issue was
sure to cause them trouble next fall - polls show the
general public overwhelmingly opposes dove hunting -
so they scrapped the appropriation. But their failure
to tie the bill to a referendum takes the target off
their backs and slaps it instead on that of Gov.
Jennifer Granholm, who indicated she'd veto the dove
two-step if voters weren't invited to the dance. 
      How can an elected official defend a vote to
deny everybody else a vote? Why do they feel a greater
obligation to the special interest groups backing the
dove hunting measure than to the people who elected
them?
      The Michigan United Conservation Clubs said
hunters' opinion of Gov. Jennifer Granholm would
"sour" if she vetoes the bill, as promised.
      One wonders what voters think of House, Senate
and MUCC manipulations so far. 
      "Sour" may not be strong enough. 


	
		
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