After a wide range of ballot issues in 2012, voters in Michigan will decide two questions this year, both of them dealing with wolf hunting.
Gongwer News Service Editor Zach Gorchow says after tens of millions of dollars was spent on proposed amendments to the state Constitution two years ago, all of them went down in flames. He says that left proponents gun shy about trying to amend Michigan's Constitution.
The state Legislature approved a law to allow hunting of wolves. But the Humane Society gathered enough signatures to hold a referendum on the law. That suspended the law, but the state Legislature passed another bill that allowed the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to designate species for hunting. Gorchow says the Humane Society couldn't gather signatures quickly enough to stop the wolf hunt that happened last winter. But they did gather enough to put the second law up for referendum.
Voters will decide if the wolf hunting laws are going to stand, that would require a "yes" vote. A "no vote" would take both laws off the state books.
But "the really confusing part" according to Gorchow came when pro-hunting groups gathered the signatures necessary for a citizen initiated law similar to the one approved by the state Legislature. It allows the NRC to designate species for hunting. That law is not subject to referendum. Gorchow says that effectively makes the November vote on wolf hunting meaningless. But the Natural Resources Commission has said there won't be enough time for a wolf hunt this winter.
Gorchow says the opponents of the wolf hunt may have one more card to play, that would be legal action. He says it's very technical and a lawsuit may be filed whether or not the wolf hunting proposals pass.
