Proposed amendment guarantees Ind. residents right to hunt, harvest game

Legislation intended to protect state hunting and fishing rights passed the full Indiana Senate Tuesday by a 38-10 vote.

Senate Joint Resolution 7 was authored by Sens. Brent Steele, R-Bedford,and Carlin Yoder, R-Middlebury, and guarantees residents the rights to hunt, fish, harvest game and engage in the agricultural production of meat and dairy.

“More than 950,000 Hoosiers hunt or fish each year, which is about 15 percent of our state population,” Steele said in a press release. “We also have more than 61,500 farms in Indiana that generate $8 billion in market sales each year.

“Not surprisingly, we’ve seen overwhelming support from the farming community and Indiana residents who believe we need to take action to protect these fundamental rights, which are such important parts of our Hoosier culture and history.”

If SJR 7 is passed by the General Assembly this year, according to the release, the proposed amendment will be presented to state voters during the 2014 General Election.
For now, SJR 7 will move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

“This bill is about protecting more than just recreational hunting and fishing,” Yoder said in the release. “It also defends key aspects of agricultural production in our state, which our Hoosier economy depends on.”
 
— Michael Majchrowicz