House upholds Sunday hunting ban
By Norman Leahy | Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 | Politics, VirginiaA measure to lift Virginia’s Sunday hunting ban was tabled in a House subcommittee yesterday, showing that blue laws can be hard to shake:
“We don’t have the votes,” Lingamfelter said to the panel’s chairman, Del, Lee Ware, R-Powhatan County. “And down here, you know that’s the name of the game.”
The Senate has passed legislation to allow Sunday hunting on private property, but the bill likely will go to the same House subcommittee that shelved Lingamfelter’s bill (House Bill 921) and other Sunday hunting legislation on Wednesday.
“The reason it has always failed is that people don’t want it,” said subcommittee member Del. Tommy Wright, R-Lunenburg County, acknowledging the opponents who filled much of the committee room in the General Assembly Building.
Lingamfelter said in an interview that “there may be some opportunities” to continue work on Sunday hunting legislation this year. But, he added, “It may be that we just don’t have enough this year to gather that broad coalition we need.”
The coalition was in place and a bill partially lifting the ban passed the Senate. The opposition, though, had its people in the hearing room, and in the General Assembly, having more warm bodies on site than the other guy makes a difference.
Soon, these same legislators will likely vote to approve a constitutional amendment strengthening property rights.
But they refuse to allow those same private property owners the ability hunt their own land on Sundays.
How they square that circle will prove very interesting.
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About the author
Norm Leahy has written about Virginia and national politics online since 2002, beginning with One Man's Trash (OMT), and continuing through Bacon's Rebellion (both the blog and the e-zine), Sic Semper Tyrannis, NBC12's Decision Virginia, Richmond.com and Tertium Quids. He is the chief blogger at "The Score" and a producer of "The Score" radio show as well as being a Washington Post contributor.
Comments
8 Responses to "House upholds Sunday hunting ban"
Much like Doc Holliday their hypocrisy knows no bounds. These are the same people that ran their primaries and campaigns on supporting property rights – I’m looking at you Matt Fariss, Lee Ware.
Simply baffling. These guys should not be surprised when a primary challenger emerges. Not that Sunday hunting will bring them down, but not being s consistent conservative will.
Ask Kelo how selectively applying property rights worked out.
Norm, I completely agree with you. It is 100% hypocritical of those so-called champions of property rights to tell us that our constitutional right to hunt only applies six out of seven days a week and property owners aren’t to be trusted to hunt their own property. It’s total squirrel shit! (but not from the squirrel that got shot on Sunday
Why did we outlaw sunday hunting in the first place?
Ask Captain John Smith…
I believe the original purpose was to allow for people to go to church, to have a day of rest and honor God. The blue laws kept retail stores from operating on Sunday as well. I can tell you for certain that the majority of those who work in retail do wish that the blue laws would come back. They get sick of the “Kmarts” of the world who open on Thanksgiving and Christmas. So go right ahead and eliminate all connections to the Christian God and celebrating Him on Sunday.
Patty,
I agree with you on the effect of the blue laws repeal on retail workers, but the blue laws themselves harken back to a time when American society was different. Two-career families were not the norm, allowing Mom to shop during the week and enjoy a family day on Sunday. More importantly, they are a relic of a time when certain members of society felt that they had a right to dictate to other people how to live their lives. Thank God those days are gone and we are free to live our lives as we see fit and worship Him according to our own customs and traditions (such as Saturday vigil Mass, in the case of Roman Catholics). I’m disappointed that this one was not repealed in some fashion to preserve property rights if for no other rationale.
MBM,
Section 4. Right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest game.
The people have a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law.
The amendment ratified November 7, 2000 and effective January 1, 2001—Added a new section (4).
MD Russ,
No rest for the retail worker. It is all about convenience and greed to some extent.
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