This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This year our legislators will be voting on a bill that would allow a child as young as age 11 to get a hunting permit without taking a hunter safety course ("Utah bill advances to allow hunting before taking hunter-ed class," Tribune, Feb. 6).
This type of legislation didn't make much sense to me, although my family loves to hunt, so after a bit of research I found the same legislation happening across the country. This is a quote right off the NRA-ILA Institute for Legislative Action web page: "NRA has worked throughout the country to help bring a new generation of sportsmen to the field with the common goal of reducing barriers to hunting." They use the term "try it before you buy it" in many of the bills.
Are our legislators working for the NRA or for the best interests of the citizens of Utah? I don't know about you, but I'm tired of national corporations dictating our laws for their own gain. Our legislators who vote yes on this bill are only doing the NRA's bidding.
Sandy Krueger
Murray