BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 19, 2023
Virginia Parker and her husband sued the state of Maine, asserting that the ban on Sunday hunting is unconstitutional under Maine’s Right to Food Amendment, which I helped to pass. Maine’s attorney general and Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso assert that hunting is not included in the Right to Food amendment. I am writing to counter that dangerous legal theory. Harvest was intended in drafting this bill to include hunting and fishing. The department has repeatedly used the term harvest to mean hunt in public communications. Mainers’ have a right to harvest the food of their choosing so long as they do not abuse natural resources. This right cannot be arbitrarily hindered by an outdated social practice. ~ Billy Bob Faulkingham, Republican leader, Maine House of Representatives