Governor shoots wolf bounty bill
Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer, a newly elected
Republican, recently vetoed a bill that would have placed a $1,000
bounty on wolves shot outside Yellowstone National Park. The
legislation would have authorized payment to hunters who shoot
wolves outside the park and offered free legal defense for the
hunters if prosecuted by federal agencies (HCN, 1/23/95). The
governor said he agreed with the spirit of the bill, but believed
it unconstitutional: "I fear for the citizens who in good faith
would comply with the new law by killing a wolf only to be dealt a
heavy blow through federal prosecution under the Endangered Species
Act." An attempted override in the Legislature of Geringer's veto
failed by a substantial margin Feb. 28.