Telluride Watch deserves credit for informing us about Brown’s future legislative plans

Rep. J. Paul Brown introduced legislation last year that would have overturned a 1992 ballot initiative banning bear hunting in the spring and summer.

Brown took a lot of heat for this, from all quarters, including environmental groups and the Durango Herald, and his bill died.

But as far as I can tell, no one reported on whether Brown will introduce the bill again, if he survives a tough challenge in his House District 59 race.

That is, until the Telluride Watch’s Samantha Wright reported Oct. 18:

“I’d like to try it again,” [Brown] said of his bear legislation. “It is not my  intention to kill mommas and baby bears. But I know that we’ve got a problem and  if we don’t do something, someone is going to get killed.”

Wright reported that Brown continues to believe that the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife should be deciding how to manage bears, even though the Parks Division didn’t request his bill.

Regardless of the merits of Brown’s bill, the Telluride Watch deserves credit for letting voters know how Brown’s legislative ups and downs will play out again if he’s re-elected.

Leave a Reply




You must be logged in to post a comment.