Veto of mountain lion hunting repeal sustained

Senators declined to override a gubernatorial veto April 2 of a bill that would have prohibited the hunting of mountain lions.

Senators originally passed LB671, introduced by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, March 24 on a 28-13 vote. The bill would have repealed the law passed in 2012 that authorized the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to hold a mountain lion hunting season.

Chambers said harming a predator at the top of the food chain like the mountain lion can disrupt an entire ecosystem.

“[The Game and Parks Commission] is not managing these animals,” he said. “Allowing a year-long hunting season outside of [the Pine Ridge Reservation] is exterminating these animals.”

In his March 28 veto letter, Gov. Dave Heineman said prohibiting wildlife management under LB671 could be deemed unconstitutional.

Heineman said the bill could be challenged as infringing upon Article XV, Section 25 of the Nebraska Constitution, which establishes that “hunting, fishing and harvesting of wildlife shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.”

Lincoln Sen. Bill Avery supported the override motion, saying that the mountain lion population is just beginning to recover from near extinction.

“Hunting of such a small population is rejected by nearly all the scientists who study wildlife and big game,” he said. “We’re not talking about management here. If it were about management, we would not be killing animals of such a small number.”

Bellevue Sen. Tommy Garrett opposed the motion. He said Nebraska Game and Parks should be allowed to carry out their prescribed duties.

“We have a game and parks commission for a reason,” he said. “They’re the experts and we should let them do their jobs. If they’re not doing their job, we can hold them accountable.”

Senators voted 24-21 on the motion to override, six votes short of the number required.

Chambers filed a motion to reconsider the vote, adopted 30-17, but the bill failed to advance on a 28-21 vote April 3.