Kristina Snyder: Gray squirrel bill amendment went outside normal procedure

To The Daily Sun,

What do you do if you are in a position of power and want to help a friend? You introduce an amendment against the public majority and against sound reasoning. That is precisely what Rep. Tim Lang of Sanbornton did to help his friend, Rep. Howard Pearl.

I followed the proper procedure by petitioning Fish & Game to delay the gray squirrel season so that mother squirrels could raise their young in early September before the season starts. The commission failed in their duty to look at the evidence before they voted, thus it went to legislation for it to be decided there. The majority of the public was in favor of delaying the season, given remote bill sign in for support and testimony given. However, Rep. Pearl of Loudon complained about squirrels chewing his maple tubing. Of course, there are methods used by maple producers to protect maple tubing and other animals could be the culprit, but Rep. Pearl demanded we kill squirrels every day of the year, in any number, and by any method. Declare them nuisances and be done with it.

During executive session, Rep. Lang who is chair of the House Fish & Game Committee introduced an amendment to essentially remove them as game animals and be allowed to kill any number of gray squirrels 365 days a year. This would mean that unless your property is posted, any person could legally be on your land thrill-killing gray squirrels in the summer while your children play in your yard. All the Republicans on the committee fell in line and even a couple of heartless Democrats voted to pass Lang’s amendment.

It is absolutely outrageous that a legislator uses his position of power to go against the will of the majority of the people to manipulate legislation in such an obvious and possibly even corrupt way. If Rep. Pearl wanted to change the season, he should have gone through the process that I did. But instead, he went to his friend Rep. Lang. We went from a season of a few months on squirrels with a daily limit, to an all out war on them. Mother squirrels will be killed and the babies will perish. This Lang amendment should not pass out of the House. I hope people in Sanbornton will remember this next election and vote into office a fair representative who listens to the will of the people instead of the demands of his incapable friend.

Kristina Snyder

Chester