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With early voting set to start on October 13, a constitutional amendment before voters in the fall election is showing strong, bi-partisan support. The amendment would guarantee the personal right to hunt and fish in Tennessee, within the prescribed laws and without violating private property rights. Both gubernatorial candidates - Republican nominee Bill Haslam of Knoxville and Democratic nominee Mike McWherter of Jackson - have publicly endorsed the measure, along with more than 20 candidates for state House and Senate seats including State Representative Eddie Bass of the 65th District. National organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation, the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have also supported the amendment, along with other stakeholders like the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the National Rifle Association and celebrities such as Tennessee legends Bill Dance and Phillip Fulmer and Opry stars Craig Morgan and John Conlee. "This has been a grassroots campaign, and these candidates and organizations have exponentially increased our ability to reach voters in Tennessee through their supporters," said Michael Butler, treasurer of the Tennessee Wildlife Heritage Fund, which is heading the campaign in support of the amendment. "These folks recognize the importance of hunting and fishing to our state, from a wildlife management standpoint, from an economic impact standpoint and on so many other levels." More than 100 local chapters and clubs have added their endorsements. The full list can be seen at www.huntandfishtn.com , a comprehensive website that includes a wealth of information on the Right to Hunt and Fish in Tennessee effort. The process to secure a public referendum on the issue started in 2004, when the Tennessee Wildlife Federation began working with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the General Assembly, the attorney general's office, the Farm Bureau and other stakeholders on the proposed language. As required by law, the measure passed the General Assembly in two consecutive sessions, with the final vote passing with only one dissent in March of this year. In order to amend the state constitution, the proposed amendment must receive 50 percent plus one of the votes cast in the statewide gubernatorial election. The question is the second on the ballot, and asks Shall Article XI, Section 13 of the Tennessee State Constitution be amended by adding the following sentence at the end of the section: The citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this right does not abrogate any public or private property rights, nor does it limit the state's power to regulate commercial activity. Traditional manners and means may be used to take non-threatened species. Other supporting candidates include Keith Clotfelter (D-H36), Charles Ray Rains (D-H25), Mike Sparks (R-H49), Rep. Judy Barker (D-H77), Allen Barry (D-H57), Sen. Doug Jackson (D-S25), Rep. Mike Bell (R-S9), Sen.

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