Tennessee SJR 44 Update

SJR 44, a resolution intended to establish a constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, is currently being considered on the Senate floor. Unfortunately, the provisions of the current resolution do little to protect sportsmen from future attacks initiated by radical animal "rights" organizations. Your NRA is working to see that the language is substantially strengthened to protect, for instance, the hunting of "traditional species" by "traditional means and methods." This will guard against politically-motivated bans on the hunting of animals such as dove and bear, as we’ve seen in other states. It will also protect against bans on specific types of hunting, such as bow hunting. This specific protection is critical in light of the fact that radical anti-hunting organizations have made a bow hunting ban their top priority as part of their plan to eliminate hunting one method at a time. The first step in strengthening the language of the Resolution is the adoption of Senator Mark Norris’(R-32) floor amendment the afternoon of Monday, May 9. It is critical that you call your State Senator before Monday afternoon and respectfully request that he or she "please vote for the Norris floor amendment to SJR 44" because Tennessee needs a meaningful individual right to hunt and fish. NRA is committed to continuing efforts to pass a constitutional amendment that protects the rights of individual sportsmen for generations to come, while also recognizing the state’s responsibility to manage game populations through laws and regulations driven by science, not anti-hunting politics.