Up North Progressive

Today another vote in the ongoing struggle to protect Michigan wolves from hunting is expected to take place in the Michigan Senate. Despite two voter referendums to put a stop to wolf hunting being approved for the November ballot.

Republicans in Michigan have a tough time allowing the citizens of this state to determine what laws they want enacted and enforced. Rather than listen to the people they’re supposed to represent, they instead pass laws that render citizen initiatives unnecessary, depriving the people of the state their right to be heard.

In 2011 The US Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the endangered species list. The estimated wolf population in Michigan is less than 700 animals. In 2012 Rick Snyder signed Public Act 520 introduced by Tom Casperson that allowed for a limited hunt.

Keep Michighan Wolves Protected in 2013 submitted signatures to put on the November ballot a referendum to over turn PA 520. The wolves are barely on the way back from extinction and need to be left alone so they can continue to recover numbers. In response to the petition Casperson introduced another bill to allow wolf hunting if PA 520 is repealed. The new law, Public Act 21 allows for any new species to be added to the list of game species open for hunting provided they have not yet been rejected by voter referendum. Keep Michigan Wolves Protected has submitted signatures for a referendum to address PA 21 and will also appear on the ballot in November.

Replacing potential new voter-initiated laws with laws that render them ineffective is how the legislature in Lansing circumvents the will of the people. Republicans don’t want the citizens of this state to have any say in how they are governed, but rather to do as we’re told. This is not government by and for the people, but an oligarchy with the purpose to take our freedom away at the expense of corporate interests. This November is our chance to remove these freedom-hating legislators from Lansing and replace them with elected officials who will listen to us, the voters. We need leadership in Lansing who listens to the people, not eliminates their voice.