LONEGAN SAYS BEAR HUNT DECISION FURTHER PROOF THAT NJ SUPREME COURT JUSTICES MUST BE REPLACED
BOGOTA – Bogota Mayor and GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan today called this morning’s State Supreme Court decision effectively banning the proposed bear hunt “a victory for animal rights extremists and a blow to decades of sound wildlife management practices.”
“Once again the people of New Jersey have to suffer because of another poor decision by one of the most liberal and activist courts in the nation,” said Lonegan. “The New Jersey Supreme Court today has given us another example of why its members should be replaced by people who want to interpret the law, not make law that favors extreme positions.”
Today’s court decision gives total control over all hunting regulations to the politically compromised State Department of Environmental Protection and its commissioner Bradley Campbell and takes it away from the Fish and Game Council, which has for decades carefully and expertly regulated hunting activity in the state, Lonegan said.
“The DEP Commissioner is not concerned with proper wildlife management. He is concerned with running political interference for the governor,” said Lonegan. “This suit started because of the political decision to protect former Gov. McGreevey from the extremists in his own party who want to abolish hunting. As governor, I would return hunting decisions to the capable people on the Fish and Game Council and pick a DEP commissioner who doesn’t endorse the radical animal rights agenda,” he added.
“It’s sad that wildlife, suburban and rural homeowners and sportsmen all have to suffer another politically correct decision by our state’s Supreme Court justices, who are more interested in upholding radical chic causes than in upholding the rights of our average citizens. I look forward to replacing as many of them as possible.” added Lonegan.