Il Kansas could soon become the twentieth US state in which hunting and fishing are a constitutional right: the local Chamber has voted on the measure that plans to insert a new section in the Bill of Rights with an overwhelming majority, given that the votes in favor were 117 (7 against). Now the Senate will decide and in the event of a similar decision we will have to wait for the approval of the voters on 8 November. According to the judgment of some legislators, such a choice could prevent other rules from violating in the future the right to hunt and fish. The opinion of the detractors, on the other hand, is that it is a constitutional amendment that would in fact be able to prevent any action in favor of species at risk of extinction.
In the new section you may soon find such a sentence: "Citizens have the right to hunt, fish and capture animals using traditional methods and subject to reasonable laws and regulations". There should also be references to the fact that hunting is one of the recommended methods for managing and controlling wildlife. The managers of the Kansas Rifle Association have already testified in favor of this amendment during the hearings in the House, arguing, among other things, that such rights are seriously threatened in the federal state by various obstacles, including groups that defend animal rights.
There are currently 19 US states that provide hunting and fishing protections within their Constitution. The very first was Vermont, which boasts this legislative provision since 1777, while everything else has followed suit from a more recent year, 1996 to be precise. Incidentally, there is a lot of talk in Kansas that the amendment would be the ideal solution to guarantee sporting traditions.
One of the most staunch sponsors of the resolution, the Republican Adam Lusker, he also underlined the possible benefits regarding tourism, an aspect that should increase interest in voting. According to Travis Coutur-Lovelady, a former legislator and member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), constitutional law may not serve in five, ten or fifteen years, as the population will become increasingly urban and less linked to hunting, but it is still a right that must remain in the Bill of Rights. In nine months, however, there will be an opportunity to outline more concrete and plausible scenarios.