Michigan’s Republican-led state House passed legislation Thursday that could block voters from deciding whether to allow wolf hunting in Michigan.
By: Brad Dokken, Grand Forks Herald
Governor to sign Michigan wolf bill
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s Republican-led state House passed legislation Thursday that could block voters from deciding whether to allow wolf hunting in Michigan.
The measure, which passed on a 72-38 vote with bipartisan support, would give the governor-appointed Natural Resources Commission the power to decide which types of wildlife can be hunted. Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk is the bill’s next stop, and his spokeswoman said he intends to sign the bill, pending final review.
Supporters of the bill said it protects residents in rural Upper Peninsula communities whose safety is threatened by the growing wolf population, while keeping out-of-state special interest groups from determining Michigan policies.
But opponents contend the measure, which passed the Republican-led Senate last week, is a way around a proposed referendum on wolf hunting.
Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, the group that collected the more than 240,000 signatures necessary to request a statewide vote on the issue, have said lawmakers are fast-tracking the measure through the Legislature before the state Board of Canvassers certifies enough signatures were gathered for a referendum.
If so, no wolf hunt could be held until after the referendum.
Should the bill become law, voters could still strike down wolf hunting on the 2014 ballot, but it would be meaningless because the NRC could still approve wolf hunting.
— Associated Press
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