ENDORSEMENT: RARITAN TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

Remarks/Qualifications

Logging, perimeter, poaching, and Sunday hunting bills: Legislation to allow commercial logging on "forest stewartship" lands had few supporters - New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (animal-use trade lobby), and commercial loggers. The bills were strongly opposed by the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, several environmental organizations, and Bill Wolfe, (see above like) New Jersey's premier environmental blogger. Likewise, Audubon ad hunters lobbied for the perimeter, poaching, and Sunday hunting bills.

On these matters, many if not all animal-friendly legislators in the Senate and Assembly voted with Audubon and Environment and Energy Committee Chair Bob Smith (D-17), thinking that the issues were "ecological" instead of commercial (yet remember, Sierra Club, the quintessential environmental group, lobbied against the measures). On many issues, the Smith-Audubon combination is deadly for forests and wildlife. Part of this, undoubtedly, is Smith's leverage and power derived from pay-to-play and political action committee or PACs. New Jersey politics at its finest.

Logging, perimeter, poaching, and Sunday hunting bills: Legislation to allow commercial logging on "forest stewartship" lands had few supporters - New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (animal-use trade lobby), and commercial loggers. The bills were strongly opposed by the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, several environmental organizations, and Bill Wolfe, (see above like) New Jersey's premier environmental blogger. Likewise, Audubon ad hunters lobbied for the perimeter, poaching, and Sunday hunting bills.

District 4: Bad: votes on logging, perimeter, and poaching; Good: Assemblyman Paul Moriarity (D) did vote for the resolution invalidating the game council's leghold regulation (see scorecard link above).

District 6: Bad: votes on Sunday hunting, perimeter, and logging; Good: Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D) did vote for the resolution invalidating the game council leghold regulation.

District 7: Bad: votes on Sunday hunting, perimeter, and logging; Good: Assemblyman Herbert Conaway (D) co-sponsored and voted for the resolution invalidating the game council leghold resolution.

District 13: The League of Humane Voters of New Jersey has never endorsed a member of the hunters' legislator caucus. We note, however, that Senator Declan O'Scanlon (R) has improved considerably, voting against the logging bill - and the majority, see above - and, importantly, for our resolution that would have invalidated the New Jersey Fish and Game Council's regulation allowing three types of steel-jaw, leghold traps in violation of New Jersey's statute. He also voted against logging and the perimeter bill.

District 13: Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R) has the same record as Senator O'Scanlon (he actually voted against perimeter, she in favor). She is not a member of the hunter caucus.

District 28: Senator Ronald Rice (D) has improved. In the past, he has voted for Sunday hunting, perimeter, and logging, yet voted against the poaching bill. More recently, he has co-sponsored S2141 to remove the black bear from the game code, supported Nosey's Law, the trophy ban, and the ban on shark fins.

District 33: Senator Brian P. Stack (R) had a negative voting record for wildlife, voting for the poaching, perimeter, logging, and Sunday hunting bills. More recently, however, Senator Stack has voted for the resolution invalidating the game council's leghold regulation and co-sponsored legislation removing the black bear from the game code.

Editors' note: Certain legislators have improved, especially on priority issues such as the leghold trap. Others have been more consistently humane. After eight years in the wilderness for wildlife, LOHV-NJ has made a decision to bow to reality and to endorse candidates who have shown improvement and, critically, support our important issues. This in no way detracts from humane voters' appreciation for longtime legislative friends.