Officials with the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana say they’re taking “very seriously” a proposed constitutional amendment that would abolish the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. Rep. Billy R. Chandler, a Democrat from Dry Prong, is pushing the legislation that scraps the panel, which is responsible for setting hunting and fishing seasons, oversees enforcement and manages biology practices. CCA is among the largest lobbies in the state and represents the interests of recreational fishermen. In a prepared statement, CCA declared, “We are not yet ready to call for a full CCA grassroots push, but we are concerned” about any initiative that would revert the commission’s policymaking duties back to the state Legislature.
Lobbyists for CCA say they plan on speaking with Chandler about his bill when the Legislature goes back into session Monday. If assigned for a hearing, Chandler’s House Bill 529 would first be debated in the House Natural Resources Committee. Still, even if the legislation receives a full hearing, it’s doubtful that such a sweeping change could gain any real ground, lawmakers say. In its statement, even CCA doubted how far the legislation could go: “While passage of this bill is a long shot, CCA is taking it very seriously.”—Jeremy Alford
