Spokane7
40°Quick links: 2012 graduating seniors • Summer camp guide • Jobs: The Road Ahead • Prep sports • News quiz
The House Resources Committee has agreed to send HB 531 to the House’s amending order with committee amendments attached, to clear up a wording problem in the bill. The measure, from Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, would make all hunting licenses and tags secret, plus add criminal sanctions for any harassment of hunters. The names of those getting hunting licenses and tags long have been public record in Idaho. Several media representatives spoke against the bill, saying it was too broad and would close down records that reporters, hunters and fishermen long have legitimately used, for everything from checking whether a candidate for the Fish & Game Commission had a hunting license to verifying that the subject of an outdoor feature about a trophy catch caught the fish legally. Jeremy Pisca, lobbyist for the Idaho Allied Daily Newspapers, said the bill was akin to going after a “gnat with a sledgehammer.” “My plea to you is to please don’t close down the public’s ability to access its government,” he told the committee.
The Idaho Farm Bureau and the Idaho Cattle Association testified in favor of the bill. Boyle said it would prevent wolf hunters from being harassed. “It’s my belief that one of the reasons for government is to protect its citizens, and I feel that’s what this bill will do,” she said. The motion from Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, to send the bill to the amending order passed on a voice vote, with three committee members objecting.
Full disclosure here: I’m the president of the Idaho Press Club, an association of working reporters around the state, which was among the media groups objecting to the bill. Press Club volunteer lobbyist Sydney Sallabanks, of Gallatin Public Affairs, told the committee, “Reporters in Idaho use these records all the time.” My newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, also is a member of the Idaho Allied Dailies, the group Pisca represents.
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2012, The Spokesman-Review
Terms of use • Privacy policy • Copyright policy
Lisa on February 23 at 2:08 p.m.
Those Poor Toughguy Wolf Hunters were getting picked on. If the Wolves could of shot back those clods would really be crying to the legislature. Speaking of tough guys I thought Clem Otter was gonna be first in line to get him a wolf?.
WildWest on February 23 at 8:06 p.m.
The big question is why somebody feels this should be private?
What big muckety muck with hunting licenses didn’t want their information to be public?
These hunters chose to hunt wolves knowing it was extremely controversial.
Now they want us to provide them a secret hunt, I find it incredibly hypocritical that these hunters who don’t want government to take there guns away now want the government to hide there identity from other non-hunting Idaho citizens who now they now fear will expose what they kill?
They do not deserve a secret club of wolf hunters.
Again we see the GOP dominated legislature willfully trying to undermine the state’s public records law, if this pass then it’s only a matter of time before this GOP legislature starts adding more exemptions to open public records.
Secrets cloaked under false claims of privacy….!
The names of all types of hunters receiving a state license to hunt on public lands should be published for all citizens to review.
Idahoans need a voter initiative on the ballot, forcing open transparent government with full access to public records: The people of Idaho must refuse to yield their sovereignty to the government agencies that serve the people.
RobertDeen on February 24 at 6:01 a.m.
To place the background of this proposed legislation in better perspective, here is an excerpt from news coverage of the event behind it — the story of Robert Millage, the first Idaho hunter to legally shoot a wolf.
“When Millage awoke the morning after the hunt, interesting was not an adequate word to describe the attention that he was about to receive. Every major newspaper and TV media outlet had picked up the story of the wolf killer. From 6 a.m. to 10:30 that night, he held his cellphone to his ear while one caller after another laced into him.
In contrast to the calls, which mostly came from women, the flood of e-mails Millage received on the office computer, as well as comments posted on newspaper websites, where largely written by men. They were more sinister in tone.
“From Peter S: You are a F**king Ass**** and your entire family is perverted as well.
From SHARK: Only an uncivilized, marginally developed genitalia, morally, mentally … deficient person, with criminal and sadistic tendencies who preys on innocense (sic) would consider .. such senseless murder…. I bet this Robert BOY has molested a child.
Form Nobody: Why don’t we take your kids out and rub them in blood and let them wander around a wolf pack?
Before the day’s end anti-hunters had posted driving directions to Millage’s house, including satellite photos of his residence, on Craigslist, MySpace and media blogsites.
As a father with two sons, ages 3 and 5, Miller’s first concern was the safety of his children. He decided it was best for them to stay with his ex-wife.”
WildWest on February 24 at 9:07 a.m.
Oh to bad, He freely choose to hunt wolves and was well aware of the public outrage against the hunt not to mention the over eagerness of individual hunters to kill wolves with only belligerence to the species as there basic knowledge of wolves and a belief that wolves regularly threaten humans..!
Idiots.
It is amazing the self righteous always love to use their children as shields against there own accountability of an unsolicited choice..
Grizbr on February 24 at 10:26 a.m.
The animal rights people need to use approatiate means to lobby the legislature to achieve their goals. Since they choose to harrass and terrorize hunters participating in a legal activity I see no choice but to protect the information by closing it to the public. If they want to change the law and close the hunt do it leagally at the legislature. I would bet the large majority of them live in a city and have never seen a wild animal in their life. I think we should reintroduce wolves into the cities around the country where they are endangered and whipped out years ago. When the start killing their pets they will not be allowed to kill the wolf because they are protected. If people loose there jobs because it endangers the wolves in the city to bad. Remember the wolf was there before your city so you will just have to give it back to them.