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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Senate defeats landowner hunting tag sales bill on 17-17 tie

The Senate has defeated SB 1283, Sen. Jeff Siddoway's bill to let landowners sell special "landowner appreciation" hunting tags on the open market for profit, on a 17-17 tied vote after much debate. Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Declo, who was presiding over the Senate at the time of the vote, said, "The president does not have the power to break the tie in this instance," and declared that the bill had failed.

Siddoway's opening debate was so long that it had to be interrupted for Sen. Mike Crapo's scheduled 11 a.m. address to the Senate; he finished it after the U.S. senator left and headed over to the House. There were lots of concerns raised about the bill. "I think it sends us in a direction that allows for elite hunting," said Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum. "I think selling our wildllife for personal, private gain is inappropriate, and I don't think this bill is appropriate either."

Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, said in his view, landowner appreciation hunting tags are about reimbursing landowners for crop loss, not about hunting access. But Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, noted, "SB 1282 is a very similar bill, but it would allow access, reasonable access, to hunters. Without that provision, I cannot support the bill."



Eye On Boise

News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.