Victory for the MI doves!!!

[Guest guest]

The bill got defeated in the senate by just 1 vote today. whew! That

was really close! Many many thanks to everyone for such a tremendous

response.

 

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw24982_20001214.htm

 

Legislature ends its 1999-2000

session with good-byes and

casino bill

 

December 14, 2000, 8:24 PM

 

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A bill that would have

allowed mourning doves to be hunted in Michigan

narrowly failed to win approval Thursday in the

state Senate as legislators worked at wrapping up

the 1999-2000 session.

 

The legislation would have added doves to the list

of game animals that could be hunted in open

season beginning June 1, 2001, and ended the

state's 95-year ban on hunting mourning doves.

 

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Sue Tabor, has

been awaiting a Senate vote since the House

approved it 56-45 approval two weeks ago. The

Senate's 19-15 vote was one vote short of

sending the bill to Gov. John Engler for his

signature.

 

" It's discouraging. I feel like I let a lot of hunters

down, " said Tabor, R-Lansing.

 

Supporters of the legislation say mourning doves

are fun to hunt because their fast, erratic flight

patterns make them challenging to shoot. Hunters

say not being able to shoot doves deprives them

of their right to hunt.

 

Opponents of the legislation say there is no reason

to shoot doves because they yield almost no meat

and can be confused with other small birds that

are protected by the government.

 

A bill to legalize dove hunting died in Michigan's

Legislature in 1995. In 1987, a court stopped the

Michigan Natural Resources Commission from

establishing a dove hunting season without the

Legislature's approval.

 

Democratic Sen. Art Miller of Warren says

hunters should not be shooting doves.

 

" I can remember in this holiday season the dove is

a symbol of peace and love, " Miller said. " Let's

leave doves at feeders and not in backpacks. "

 

The Senate on Thursday approved a bill, 28-8,

that would prohibit children from riding in the back

of pickup trucks. The bill was later approved by

the House on a 88-11 vote to agree with technical

changes made by the Senate.

 

The legislation now goes to Gov. John Engler for

his signature.

 

Rep. Deb Cherry, D-Burton, first introduced a

ban on children riding in the beds of pickup trucks

in 1997 when an accident in Jackson County left

11 people dead after a driver ran a stop sign on a

rural road and collided with a dump truck. Eight of

the children who died were riding in the back of

the pickup truck.

 

The bill didn't pass during the 1997-98 session.

 

" Leaving is a hard thing, this makes it all seem

worthwhile. It's a good way to leave, " said

Cherry, who gave her farewell address to her

colleagues earlier Thursday after serving six years

in the House.

 

Legislators were hurrying to get through the last

few major items on their agenda as the legislative

session wound down. On Wednesday, they

approved bills loosening concealed weapon

permit restrictions and helping diabetics pay for

their supplies and medication.

 

Both bills have been sent to the governor for his

signature.

 

In the House, 21 representatives on Thursday said

good-bye to their colleagues after serving three

two-year terms, the most allowed under term

limits approved by voters in 1992.

 

Fourteen Democrats and seven Republicans,

including GOP House Speaker Charles Perricone

of Kalamazoo Township and Democratic Minority

Leader Mike Hanley of Saginaw, are leaving their

House seats at the end of the month.

 

After a session marked by tension between

Democrats and Republicans, many departing

House members stressed the importance working

together.

 

Hanley mentioned the long-standing tension

between himself and Perricone, and apologized

for any of his statements that might have offended

House members.

 

" Please charge those mistakes to my head and not

my heart, " Hanley said before wishing Perricone

and his family a merry Christmas.

 

House Appropriations Chairman Terry Geiger,

R-Lake Odessa, encouraged returning House

members to set aside partisan differences.

 

Rep. Hubert Price, D-Oakland, also appealed for

better relationships between the two sides.

 

" There's nothing evil about being civil and

courteous to each other, " he said.

 

The group is the second class of representatives to

leave because of term limits. Sixty-four members

left in 1998 when term limits first took effect.

Nearly 30 state senators will leave the Legislature

in 2002 when term limits limiting them to two

four-year terms kick in.

 

During their farewell speeches to their colleagues,

a number of House members asked their

colleagues to extend the amount of time

lawmakers could serve under term limits, or even

repeal them.

 

" When you get to this microphone in a few years,

you will realize that you're leaving just when you

got good, " said state Rep. Lynn Martinez,

D-Lansing.

 

Other departing House members, such as GOP

Rep. William Byl of Grand Rapids, used humor to

reflect on their time in the chamber. Byl recounted

his experience in the House by reciting his version

of Edgar Allen Poe's " The Raven. "

 

" If I could ask a single favor, I would stay and join

the labors of our next years as legislators, aid them

meet the tests in store, quoth term limits, 'Six, no

more, " ' Byl recited. --------

 

The pickup truck legislation is House Bill 4392;

the dove hunting bill is House Bill 6147.

 

 

 

 

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