Indiana: Support the Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment!

On the November 2016 ballot, Indiana voters will be asked to approve NRA-supported Question 1, which is an amendment to the Indiana Constitution guaranteeing the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife as an individual right.  As previously reported, ballot language for Question 1 was created by Senate Bill 57, which passed the House of Representatives with a 95 to 1 vote and the Senate with a 43 to 7 vote.  SB 57 was signed by Governor Mike Pence (R) on March 21, 2016.

This fight is not over yet!  Preserve Indiana’s rich outdoor heritage for future generations and make Indiana the 20^th state to enact a Right to Hunt and Fish constitutional amendment by going to the polls on November 8 and voting “YES” on Question 1!

Question 1 will read:

“Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended by adding a Section 39 to Article 1 to provide that the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife shall be forever preserved for the public good, subject only to the laws prescribed by the General Assembly and rules prescribed by virtue of the authority of the General Assembly to:

(1) promote wildlife conservation and management: and

(2) preserve the future of hunting and fishing?”

As such, Question 1 will ensure that laws regulating hunting and fishing are only to be genuine conservation efforts based upon sound science and not emotion.  Currently, 19 states have Right to Hunt and Fish constitutional amendments. 

Sportsmen have been under attack for many years by well-funded, national anti-hunting groups who demonstrate a clear disregard for both the cherished traditions of many Americans as well as responsible wildlife management in their drive to eliminate hunting and fishing.  Hunting and fishing are integral parts of the culture and economy of Indiana, as it is one of the top ten deer-hunting states in the country and has more than 450 natural lakes and 21,000 miles of fishable streams, bringing in $923 million annually in revenue and supporting 14,058 jobs.

This year alone, Indiana received $11,993,245 of Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Funds thanks to excise taxes paid by Indiana sportsmen and women on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment.  Pittman-Robertson funds fuel important conservation efforts such as the acquisition and improvement of wildlife habitat, wildlife species introduction, wildlife research, public access programs, and hunter education programs. 

Your NRA would like to thank the legislators who supported this important legislation every step of the way, especially sponsors Senator Brent Steele (R-44) and state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57) in addition to Governor Mike Pence.