It should come as no surprise to sportsmen that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is once again trying to wield its massive bank account to force its radical agenda on voters.
Recent campaign finance reports from Arizona clearly demonstrate that the Washington D.C.-based animal rights organization has provided the “lion’s share” of funds in an effort to qualify a ballot issue that would ban mountain lion and bobcat hunting and trapping in Arizona.
Operating under the guise of “Arizonans for Wildlife,” the political action committee behind the proposed ban raised $499,390 in the fourth quarter of 2017. Of that, 95% (or $475,000) came from one contribution made by the Doris Day Animal League, a subsidiary of the world’s wealthiest animal rights organization – HSUS.
“This is straight out of their playbook, and a tactic we’ve seen before,” said Luke Houghton, Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services. “In Maine, HSUS was responsible for 96 percent of the funding in their effort to ban bear hunting in 2014. People in Arizona should understand that this issue is being driven by radical anti-hunting groups from Washington, D.C., who plan to overwhelm Arizona voters with millions of dollars to influence their vote.”
In addition to the cash contributions in support of the anti-hunting initiative, HSUS provided an additional $270,000 worth of goods and services in support of the effort to qualify the initiative, which would appear on the Nov. 6, 2018, ballot.
At present, the front group for HSUS has a cash balance of more than $500,000 available to aid its signature-gathering efforts. The use of professional, paid signature gathering companies to qualify anti-hunting ballot issues over the past 20 years is nothing new.
However, it appears HSUS might be off to slow start in Arizona, as the campaign finance reports indicate they have not yet hired a firm.
In order for an initiative in the state of Arizona to be placed on the ballot, it must receive a total 150,642 valid signatures by early July. Once the signatures have been collected and verified, they are then submitted to the Secretary of State’s office for certification.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.