Dove Hunting Backers
Take Aim at Voters Too

Published April 6, 2004. Editorial Board. Traverse City Record Eagle.
Dove hunting backers take aim at voters, too

However one stands on the issue of whether to allow Michigan hunters to blast mourning doves, there should be no problem with letting state residents decide what is essentially a social issue.

The state Senate doesn't think so. And northwest Lower Michigan's three state senators - Jason Allen, R-Traverse City, Michelle McManus, R-Lake Leelanau, and Tony Stamas, R-Midland - obviously don't, either.

Without comment, they voted to allow mourning dove hunting and offered no provision for placing the issue on the November ballot. The Senate's move wasn't as cynically anti-voter as the House version that passed last fall, when backers attempted to make it "referendum-proof" by adding a meaningless allocation of $350,000 for a phony "brochure" to explain the season. ("Find a dove, aim at it, fire.")

Senate backers knew this hot-potato issue was sure to cause them trouble next fall - polls show the general public overwhelmingly opposes dove hunting - so they scrapped the appropriation. But their failure to tie the bill to a referendum takes the target off their backs and slaps it instead on that of Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who indicated she'd veto the dove two-step if voters weren't invited to the dance.

How can an elected official defend a vote to deny everybody else a vote? Why do they feel a greater obligation to the special interest groups backing the dove hunting measure than to the people who elected them?

The Michigan United Conservation Clubs said hunters' opinion of Gov. Jennifer Granholm would "sour" if she vetoes the bill, as promised.

One wonders what voters think of House, Senate and MUCC manipulations so far. "Sour" may not be strong enough.