A.G. Gancarski
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to the “Yes on 2” push to enshrine fishing and hunting rights in the constitution.
Simpson, an egg farmer from Trilby, is putting six figures into the campaign as it ramps up.
“Fishing and hunting are inextricably linked to our economy, our lifestyle and the conservation of our land here in Florida,” Simpson said. “I’m proud to support this vitally important campaign to protect our rights to fish and hunt in Florida, and urge fellow leaders to join me in ensuring Yes on 2 has the resources needed to cross the 60% necessary to pass in November.”
The language proposes to “preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife.”
“As we gear up for the fight ahead, the team and I are incredibly grateful for Commissioner Simpson’s leadership and generosity,” said Yes on 2 Campaign Chair Joshua Kellam. “Commissioner Simpson’s commitment to conservation and protecting the rights of hard working Floridians is unparalleled, and we are hopeful others will follow his lead in supporting our efforts.”
The ballot measure got just one vote against it in the Senate and House, suggesting that at least in Tallahassee, there’s very little meaningful resistance to this proposal. It’s one of many on a crowded ballot that includes measures to restore abortion rights and legalize marijuana for nonmedical use for adults.
15 comments
MH/Duuuval
May 6, 2024 at 9:32 am
Next up from the Legislature: a referendum on motherhood and apple pie.
Someone please explain why hunting and fishing needs to be enshrined in the Florida Constitution.
Dont Say FLA
May 6, 2024 at 10:02 am
The FLg0P proposed this change to the state constitution, a change that nobody asked for, a change that somehow didn’t require hundreds of thousands of signatures from Florida’s voters to get onto the ballot, for no other purpose than attempting to increase Conservative voter turnout because everybody knows Trump’s goose is cooked. He was already a loser who kept losing, and this time it looks an awful lot like he’s be a convicted felon too in addition to having been adjudicated more than once as having committed sexual assault .
Speaking of Trump’s court rulings saying he’s a sexual predator, did Nancy Mace ever come up with a conviction of the person she claims raped her? Is she still claiming rape in absence of any conviction whatsoever while saying Trump is not a rapist because his actual existing conviction was in civil court, not criminal? While Nancy has ZERO convictions of anybody raping her but runs all over claiming to be a rape victim? Silly Nancy.
FLPatriot
May 6, 2024 at 10:31 am
What? Why? Is fishing and hunting under attack somewhere? I think it is a ploy to get more GOP out to vote because they know the Dems will be getting a lot of the voters out to vote for Marijuana and Abortion rights.
My Take
May 6, 2024 at 12:11 pm
It’s for some actual reason.
One that likely has very little to do with hunting or fishing.
MH/Duuuval
May 6, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Beats me. The firearms extremists already have the right to walk around with loaded firearms if they are hunting or fishing, or on their way to hunt and fish, or just imagining what it would be like to hunt or fish.
We must assume there is money involved as the Egg Man is putting out his own hard-earned egg money.
What happen to americanism
May 6, 2024 at 2:03 pm
People are bought and sold like commody . that’s what it’s all about. Now do some jumping jacks for ,……
Charles Fox
May 6, 2024 at 5:43 pm
None of Commissioner Simpson’s claims are valid. Hunting and fishing are dying a slow death. The economy and he people have better things to do.
My Take
May 6, 2024 at 6:31 pm
That’s what I have read in news occasionally over the past several years. Young people are not becoming interested and thus the “sports” are fading.
I must admit I do not remember whether it was Florida or national news.
Dont Say FLA
May 7, 2024 at 8:53 am
Too many young people have been on the “hunted” side of hunting.
At school.
As one result of that, they are not real interested in gun ~culture
They already killed Florida
May 6, 2024 at 11:50 pm
With the way these idiots have done Florida down, the only thing that will be left is for people to hunt each other and fish for toxic algae blooms. Tons of young folk love and enjoy nature when they can find it and access it, but it doesn’t require cutting off heads or eating endangered and threatened species. Yes there was a time when there were the old school hunters and fishers who were also conservationists. Maybe even one or two left. Maybe. Now it’s all big city @$$h@t$ who move to the country then freak out there’s nature! and want to open season on any living thing. Maybe these sickos who care so much about open season might realize you have to actually have a healthy ecosystem to perpetuate their strong man mythology. But go ahead and build your absurd McMansions on precious wetlands and fragile ecosystems, dump your toxic waste, drill in appalachicola, drain the aquifer, legalize killing threatened species, then cry some more for your rights to kill whatever you want. You already killed Florida.
Dont Say FLA
May 7, 2024 at 8:59 am
Ohhhhh i know what it is.
It’s Don Junior and his African hunting tour photos.
And it’s NRA Wayne LaPierre and his elephant “hunt” where the locals had to do it right after NRA Wayne LaPierre failed repeatedly to “claim victory” over the corralled elephant he was (told he was) “hunting.”
If hunters would just learn to hunt and then do that for food, not many folks would have any issue with that. But pricks like Don Jr and Wayne LaPierre are ruining it for everyone. Maybe rather than constitutionalizing shit baggery committed and publicized and bragged about by the likes of Don Jr and Wayne LaPierre, instead let’s make hunting and fishing great again.
Dancing Outlaw
May 7, 2024 at 9:01 am
Please inform Mr Stinson that easter egg hunts are not in any danger, His profits from his eggs are perfectly safe unless his hens catch Mad Cow disease or something crazy like so often happens these days on the massive scale agri-farms.
tom palmer
May 7, 2024 at 9:59 am
There is an opposition PAC called NoTo2.org which Florida Politics continues to ignore.
The fact of the matter is that most Floridians prefer to hunt with cameras and binoculars instead of rifles, crossbows and shotguns. The lakes have declined because of inadequately controlled pollution and fisheries have to be subsidized by state hatcheries to maintain some semblance of natural species diversity.
This is just as it was described in previous comments. a right-wing fake grievance proposal to protect something that is already protected by state law.
MH/Duuuval
May 7, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Thanks, just visited the site. Still a little foggy on why a Constitutional amendment, but this does seem to square with the MAGA desire to nail everything down for 1000 years.
Michael K
May 8, 2024 at 5:59 pm
Translation:
The GOP is terrified of women’s choice, and legalized pot. They also fear young people, who generally find Republicans repulsive.