Senator Faulk, a co-sponsor of resolution to recognize rights of citizens to hunt and fish, encourages voters to approve proposed constitutional amend

State Senate
State of Tennessee


(NASHVILLE, TN), October 11, 2010 – Tennesseans will have a rare opportunity in the upcoming fall elections to preserve our state’s great hunting and fishing heritage so that it can be enjoyed by future generations of Tennesseans. If passed, the Constitution will say: “The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this right does not abrogate any private or public property rights, nor does it limit the state s power to regulate commercial activity. Traditional manners and means may be used to take non-threatened species.”

“Like many Tennessee sportsmen, it is hard to curb my enthusiasm for this time-honored tradition. A couple of decades ago, we would not even be thinking about the need to place the right to hunt and fish in our state’s Constitution. However, we continue to see the growing strength of groups that use both the political arena and the courts to advance their anti-hunting and anti-fishing agenda, showing the need to adopt such a preventative measure as the proposed constitutional amendment,” Faulk said.

Inclusion of a right to hunt and fish in the U. S. Constitution was considered, but not added to that document or the Bill of Rights even though it did make it into several state constitutions.

The language in the proposed amendment to Tennessee's Constitution would give sportsmen a stronger voice in court on any future action that would deny their right to hunt and fish. It will also provide significant protection from misguided lawsuits that does not exist today. In addition, any efforts to remove these rights could not be done through legislation; rather, it would have to go through a more difficult constitutional process for removal.

The initiative to be decided on November 2, 2010 is the last of a multi-step process required to place this right into our state’s Constitution. It's not enough that the amendment pass by a majority vote. The number of affirmative votes must exceed half of the number of voters that voted in the gubernatorial election. It is a tedious process, but once the Constitution has been amended, any future effort to ban hunting and fishing would likewise require a multi-year legislative process and a vote of the people to remove the amendment.

As this year’s election approaches, it is important that sportsmen inform their non-hunting family, friends and neighbors that this ballot initiative should not be skipped or overlooked when voting early during this fall’s election. “ We must seize this opportunity to place our right to hunt and fish in Tennessee’s Constitution. Upon approval, this initiative will ensure to the best of our ability, the right of future generations to participate in this time-honored tradition that so many of us enjoy today,” Senator Faulk added.

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