Law May Bar Citizens from Voting on Hunting Issues

A constitutional amendment was recently proposed to Maine’s state legislature that would bar citizens from introducing legal initiatives that limit fishing and hunting in the northern New England territory. Animal-welfare organizations and government watchdog groups such as The Humane Society of the United States, Wildlife Alliance of Maine, and Citizens in Charge are opposing the amendment, noting that barring the voting rights of people sets a dangerous criterion for government intervention in constitutional rights. “The idea that those charged with representing the people would try to strip Mainers of their right to vote on wildlife issues, or any issue, is absolutely frightening,” says Citizens In Charge president Paul Jacobs. “This amendment is an attack on our most basic rights.”