Senate passes big-game auction tags bill on 17-16 vote

The Senate has voted 17-16 in favor of SB 1256, legislation from Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, and Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, to establish new “Governor’s big game auction tags” and auction them off to raise money for Fish & Game programs. The Idaho Fish & Game Commission voted narrowly to oppose the bill; opponents in the Senate said it raised troubling questions about who gets opportunities to hunt for Idaho’s state-owned wildlife. The bill would allow one moose tag, up to three deer, elk or antelope tags, one wild sheep and one mountain goat tag per year, taken from the nonresident tag pool; the program would raise an estimated $200,000 a year for Fish & Game. After the initial roll call in the Senate, Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, changed his vote from no to yes. The bill now moves to a House committee.