TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) - While Amendments 3 and 4 did not pass, Amendment 2 — The Right to Fish and Hunt — did with 67% of Florida voters supporting it.
After speaking with people on both sides of the argument, some fear Amendment 2 will bring great harm to our wildlife while others say this is a simple amendment and a 'no brainer' for Floridians to support.
Mark Lance, Senior Coordinator, Southeastern States (AL, FL, LA, MS, and TX) - Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, believes that the issue is not partisan and pointed out that in the legislature, it nearly passed unanimously.
"That speaks to the fact that conservation is one of those last issues out there that that both sides of the political aisle can agree on and support because we all want clean water," Lance said. "We want access to the great outdoors, and we want healthy fish and wildlife populations. Amendment 2 goes a long way towards helping protect that."
But even with Amendment 2's passage, Chuck O'Neal, the chairman for Noto2, was initially worried about the title and language. He's expecting lawsuits to be filed if the Yeson2 campaign goes against what was pitched to voters before Nov. 5.
"A lot of people said a lot of things in order to make this amendment pass, and we're going to hold their feet to the fire," O'Neal said.
O'Neal wondered about the intent behind the amendment and fears it could lead to gill nets being used once again. State Senator Jay Collins from Tampa said otherwise.
"This will not affect gill nets," Collins said. "It will not affect the bear traps. Anything that was there doesn't change that. What it does do is codify our right as Floridians to hunt and fish."
"I really think we're not going to know the sum total of all the damage that this has done for years to come," O'Neal said.
He said that this back-and-forth battle between the two sides could take years to settle. While Senator Collins and supporters of Amendment 2 are proud of the turnout.