Michigan State Senate's Top Priority: Wipe Out the Last Wolf
A few days ago, the Michigan State Senate held an “emergency” one-day session. You know, the Rust Belt's unemployment rate is through the stratosphere, Detroit is pretty much on fire, etc. Except, the Michigan Senate only voted on one issue, which is apparently much more urgent.
Michigan has two competing ballot measures — both concerning trophy hunting of wolves — coming up in the next election. Both initiatives already have more than enough valid signatures to qualify. One initiative — being promoted by Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, among other groups — would maintain protection for Michigan's small wolf population. The other initiative would allow the trophy hunting of wolves. And there's more: this other pro-hunting initiative would not only allow trophy hunters to ejaculate all over the wilderness — it would permanently lock in the rights of trophy hunters to hunt and shoot and kill wolves forever; to ejaculate all over themselves 'til they collapse in ecstasy. This initiative would be irreversible, with no chance of ever being changed or over-ridden.
Basically, if one side wins, they've won a battle. If the other side wins, they've won the war and annihilated the enemy. If the 49ers beat the Seahawks, both teams congratulate each other and go on to the next game. If the Seahawks beat the 49ers, every player on the 49ers will get kneecapped and blinded before the next game. Or something.
Anyway, so we have two totally different mindsets; two opposing initiatives on the ballot. Michigan voters will make this decision. Right?
And this is why the Michigan Senate held their emergency one-day session. They voted Yes on a bill which is identical to the pro-trophy-hunting initiative. Presto! The pro-hunting initiative is now the law, and the wolf protection initiative has just evaporated into thin air. Poof! It never existed. And that's not all: the trophy hunters' rights bill is technically an “appropriations” bill, which means it can't ever be overturned by a referendum.
This legislative sleaze is all legal under the Michigan Constitution. Legal, but about as slippery and underhanded as anyone can get.
The Michigan House will be taking up this issue on August 27th. Let's hope they have a little less contempt for voters than their counterparts in the state senate.
Here is a link to the Humane Society's website, where I first heard about this.
Labels: Humane Society, Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, Michigan state senate
posted by Tom Harper @ 10:38 AM
6 Comments:
They just will never get it that we need wolves in the ecosystem will they?
Jess: Nope, they never will. Trophy hunters and ranchers -- the only people who want to shoot wolves -- have way too much influence on politicians.
On a bigger Issue, the Idea of an Initiative and Referendum is just that, a bill that lets the populace vote on it, not deferring to the well financed legislators. Whom ever thought of this law should repeal it.
In California, we put something on the ballot and then get bombed with hundreds of millions of dollars to vote either way. In fact we believe so much of the process our legislature commonly defers issues to the ballot box, just to let us decide, isn't that wonderful?
Erik
Erik: Exactly. This is a perfect example of "big government," a "government power grab" that the Tea Party is always so outraged about. Two opposing ballot initiatives, and the legislature passes one of them into law and invalidates the other one, without letting the voters have a say in either one of them -- if that isn't a "government power grab," I don't know what is.
I live in an area where wolves have just recently come back, like during the past ten years. It's amazing to see how up in arms the people in the more remote areas are... I can sympathize to a point, because the wolves do attack and kill sheep and cattle here and there. But certainly the early settlers dealt with this "problem" effectively enough that they were able to survive and protect their livestock?
As time goes on, humanity continues to get further out of touch with nature.
Snave: I'm in favor of ranchers being compensated for loss of livestock and/or being allowed to kill predators on their own property. But there have been cases, especially in Michigan, where ranchers are purposely leaving their land unfenced and baiting the pastures with deer carcasses, just so they'll attract wolves, and then the rancher can scream "These wolves are killing my livestock! We need to shoot them all."
I learned about it here.
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