Mississippi Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment, HCR 30 (2014)

HCR 30 Origin Mississippi State Legislature Topic Hunting and fishing on the ballot Status Approved a

2014 measures November 4 HCR 30 a Endorsements

The Mississippi Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment, HCR 30 was on the November 4, 2014 ballot in Mississippi as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved. The measure established a constitutional right to hunt, fish and harvest game species throughout Mississippi.

HCR 30 was sponsored in the Mississippi Legislature by State Representative Lester Carpenter (R-1).

In Mississippi, a proposed amendment can be passed by majority vote, provided that the total number of votes cast on the initiative equals at least 30 percent of the total votes cast in the election.

Election results

Mississippi HCR 30
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		524,423	87.97%
No		71,683	12.03%

Election results via: Mississippi Secretary of State

Text of measure

Ballot title

The official ballot text was as follows:

“

House Concurrent Resolution 30 - This proposed constitutional amendment establishes hunting, fishing and the harvesting of wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, as a constitutional right subject only to such regulations and restrictions that promote wildlife conservation and management as the Legislature may prescribe by general law. Yes ___ No ___

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article III, Mississippi Constitution

HCR 30 added a Section 12A to Article III of the Mississippi Constitution. The new section reads as:

Section 12A. The people have the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, subject only to laws and regulations that promote wildlife conservation and management and that preserve the future of hunting and fishing, as the Legislature may prescribe by general law. Public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife. This section may not be construed to modify any provision of law relating to trespass, property rights, the regulation of commercial activities or the maintenance of levees pursuant to Article 11.

Background

See also: History of right to hunt and fish constitutional amendments

As of November 2024, 24 states had constitutional provisions providing for the right to hunt and fish. Vermont was the first state to constitutionalize such a right in 1777. The other 22 states have adopted right to hunt and fish amendments since 1996. The state constitutions of California and Rhode Island include amendments guaranteeing the right to fish, but not to hunt.

List

The following is a list of state ballot measures to adopt right to hunt and fish amendments:

State	Year	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
FL	2024	LRCA	Amendment 2	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt and fish	a	6,941,307 (67%)	3,365,987 (33%)
UT	2020	LRCA	Constitutional Amendment E	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt and to fish	a	1,063,212 (75%)	355,848 (25%)
NC	2018	LRCA	Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife	a	2,083,123 (57%)	1,563,090 (43%)
IN	2016	LRCA	Public Question 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, including traditional methods	a	1,893,467 (79%)	492,300 (21%)
KS	2016	LRCA	Constitutional Amendment 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, including traditional methods	a	926,970 (81%)	213,104 (19%)
TX	2015	LRCA	Proposition 6	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, including traditional methods	a	1,260,763 (81%)	294,973 (19%)
AL	2014	LRCA	Amendment 5	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, including traditional methods	a	789,777 (80%)	199,483 (20%)
MS	2014	LRCA	HCR 30	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, including traditional methods	a	524,423 (88%)	71,683 (12%)
ID	2012	LRCA	HJR 2	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, including traditional methods	a	456,514 (73%)	165,289 (27%)
KY	2012	LRCA	Amendment	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife	a	1,298,340 (84%)	238,320 (16%)
NE	2012	LRCA	Amendment 2	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife	a	557,534 (77%)	169,250 (23%)
WY	2012	LRCA	Amendment B	Provide for a state constitutional right to harvest wild bird, fish, and game	a	212,561 (89%)	25,564 (11%)
AR	2010	LRCA	Amendment 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, trap, and harvest wildlife	a	612,495 (83%)	127,444 (17%)
AZ	2010	LRCA	Proposition 109	Provide for state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife		714,144 (44%)	926,991 (56%)
SC	2010	LRCA	Amendment 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife	a	1,126,228 (89%)	139,668 (11%)
TN	2010	LRCA	Amendment	Provide for state constitutional right to hunt and fish	a	1,255,840 (87%)	181,465 (13%)
OK	2008	LRCA	State Question 742	Establish a constitutional right to hunt, trap, fish, and take game, granting authority to the Wildlife Conservation Commission.	a	1,082,341 (80%)	269,787 (20%)
GA	2006	LRCA	Amendment 2	Preserve the ability to fish and hunt in Georgia and ensure it is managed by law and regulation for the public good	a	1,626,226 (81%)	379,024 (19%)
LA	2004	LRCA	Question 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap	a	1,195,445 (81%)	279,926 (19%)
MT	2004	LRCA	C-41	Provide for a state constitutional right to harvest wild fish and game	a	345,505 (81%)	83,185 (19%)
WI	2003	LRCA	Question 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, trap, and take game	a	668,459 (82%)	146,182 (18%)
ND	2000	LRCA	Measure 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, trap, and take game	a	206,443 (77%)	61,531 (23%)
VA	2000	LRCA	Question 2	Provide for a right to hunt, fish, and harvest game	a	1,448,154 (60%)	970,266 (40%)
MN	1998	LRCA	Amendment 3	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt, fish, and take game	a	1,570,720 (77%)	462,749 (23%)
AL	1996	LRCA	Amendment 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to hunt and fish	a	955,149 (81%)	218,350 (19%)

Map

The following map shows which states have constitutional rights to hunt and fish in their state constitutions:

Support

The measure was introduced into the legislature by Rep. Lester Carpenter (R-1).

Supporters

Officials

Rep. Lester Carpenter (R-1) introduced the amendment into the legislature.

The amendment received unanimous support in the Mississippi Senate.

The following officials sponsored the amendment in the Mississippi Legislature:

• Rep. Lester Carpenter (R-1)
• Rep. Charles Busby (R-111)
• Rep. Tracy Arnold (R-3)
• Rep. Mark Baker (R-74)
• Rep. Manly Barton (R-109)
• Rep. Jim Beckett (R-23)
• Rep. C. Scott Bounds (R-44)
• Rep. Randy Boyd (R-19)
• Rep. Chris Brown (R-20)
• Rep. Larry Byrd (R-104)
• Rep. Gary Chism (R-37)
• Rep. Carolyn Crawford (R-121)
• Rep. Becky Currie (R-92)
• Rep. Dennis DeBar (R-105)
• Rep. Scott DeLano (R-117)
• Rep. Andy Gipson (R-77)
• Rep. Jeffrey Guice (R-114)
• Rep. Joey Hood (R-35)
• Rep. Kevin Horan (R-21)
• Rep. Trey Lamar (R-8)
• Rep. Rita Martinson (R-58)
• Rep. Brad Mayo (R-12)
• Rep. Doug McLeod (R-107)
• Rep. Nolan Mettetal (R-10)
• Rep. Tom Miles (D-75)
• Rep. Alex Monsour (R-54)
• Rep. Ken Morgan (R-100)
• Rep. Brad Oberhousen (D-73)
• Rep. Bill Pigott (R-99)
• Rep. Randy Rushing (R-78)
• Rep. Jerry Turner (R-18)
• Rep. Jason White (R-48)
• Rep. Charles Young (D-82)
• Rep. Henry Zuber, III (R-113)

Organizations

• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
• National Rifle Association (NRA)
• Safari Club International

Arguments

• Lacey Biles, spokesperson for the National Rifle Association (NRA), stated, "Years down the road, even a hunter-friendly state might turn the other way. It might be 20 years down the road, it might be 50. That's the whole point of a constitutional amendment, to protect the future, and a hunting heritage that is rich in Mississippi currently, we want that to be enshrined for generations to come."

Opposition

There was no organized opposition to the amendment.

Opponents

• The Humane Society

Arguments

• Tracy Coppola, director of the Humane Society’s Wildlife Abuse Campaign, said, “[The amendment] could prevent really progressive reform that would be necessary if there were really egregious abuse, certain forms of trapping like the kind we’re trying to fight against in Maine.”

Path to the ballot

Mississippi Constitution
Preamble
Articles
1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15

See also: Amending the Mississippi Constitution

The amendment was required to be approved by a two-thirds vote in both state legislative chambers. HCR 30 was approved by the Mississippi House of Representatives on March 15, 2013. The amendment was approved by the Mississippi Senate on April 10, 2013.

House vote

March 15, 2013 House vote

Mississippi HCR 30 House Vote
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		104	88.14%
No		14	11.86%

Senate vote

April 10, 2013 Senate vote

Mississippi HCR 30 Senate Vote
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		52	100.00%
No		0	0.00%

Related measures

• Alabama Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment, HB 322 (2014) a

See also

Suggest a link

• 2014 ballot measures
• Mississippi 2014 ballot measures
• Mississippi Legislature

Additional reading

• Governing, "'Right to Hunt' Amendments Pit Gun Rights vs. Animal Welfare," September 19, 2014

External links

• House Concurrent Resolution 30