Senate debate: ‘It’s about bringing a new perspective’
As the debate over confirmation of embattled Fish & Game Commissioner Joan Hurlock continues in the Senate, Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston said, “It’s not about having a hunting or fishing license. It’s about bringing a new perspective to that seven-member commission." She said, "This is about bringing a person to the commission who does not have a personal agenda, except to get young people involved in the out-of-doors.”
Said Lodge, “You know, not everyone in this state is a catcher or a shooter, but they appreciate excellent management of our wildlife.”
Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, acknowledged that the Senate doesn’t normally reject the governor’s appointees. “We don’t normally do that,” he said. “It has to take some level of concern to go there. I have seen it done a time or two.” Cameron, who cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate Resources Committee earlier to oppose the nomination, said of the Fish & Game Commission, “It’s one of the most controversial, difficult positions to serve in.”
He said, “To be candid with you, I’ve struggled with this decision. … It’s not our job to rubber-stamp the process.” Cameron said he participated in the Republican convention meeting with Hurlock last summer that Sen. Jeff Siddoway described earlier, and said he didn’t feel then that she had the necessary grasp of Fish & Game issues. "It was obvious that at that point you could not say that she was well-informed on the issues surrounding wolves," he said.
