BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 27, 2022
A lawsuit targeting Maine’s ban on Sunday hunting is the first to argue that a new constitutional right to food trumps a major state law. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by a Readfield couple, argues the ban on Sunday hunting is archaic and prevents them from harvesting food for their family. They are backed by Maine Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, a group that has unsuccessfully pushed the Legislature in recent years to overturn the ban. It could be a landmark consequence of the constitutional amendment passed by voters in November enshrining Mainers’ right to grow and harvest food for their own nourishment. A right to hunt on Sunday is not inherent, argued Beth Gallie, the president of the Maine Animal Coalition. “Anyone who has the money and willpower to sue may do so now,” Gallie said. “This is what we foresaw happening.”