The Judiciary Committee gave a thumbs up to a bill that would allow Connecticut residents to use deadly force against a bear if it was injuring a pet, another human or livestock. The bill will also penalize the unintentional feeding of bears.
The bill, which already passed the Environment Committee, initially included a provision from the state Energy and Environmental Protection Department allowing a limited bear hunt in Litchfield County. Lawmakers on the committee removed the provision due to lack of support and opposition from animal rights advocates.
During Wednesday’s Judiciary Committee meeting, Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, voted in favor of the remaining elements of the bill because he said the law currently protects bears over people.
He said if there’s a five-year-old playing in her backyard and is getting attacked by a bear her mother has one choice: call the police. He said even if she is armed under the current law she could face criminal charges for shooting the bear.
Rep. Melissa Osborne, D-Simsbury, said she lives in a community where bears are a problem and “what we have is a human behavior problem.”
She said there is bird seed that’s less attractive to bears so if people really want to feed the birds and not the bears then it’s possible to educate them.
She said if the state doesn’t take action this year then it’s going to be harder to avoid earnest conversations about a bear hunt.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has proposed a limited lottery-based bear hunt in areas where bears have become a nuisance.
Just last month, a 74-year-old woman was attacked by a bear while walking her dog in Avon, and a bear was euthanized in Salisbury after breaking into the same home at least twice.
Osborne opposes creating a bear hunt and said the legislation passed by the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday will avoid it.
Sen. Stephen Harding called the bill a “proactive step in the right direction.”
However, there are whispers among lawmakers that a limited bear hunt is still on the table, although House Speaker Matt Ritter and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas wouldn’t say what will happen with the bill when it hits the floor.
“There are legislators interested in coming back to that issue. It doesn’t mean, necessarily, something is going to happen with it,” Rojas said Wednesday. “There is an opportunity to engage on issues even if they didn’t make it out of committee.”
Ritter said he was meeting with DEEP Wednesday and expects the issue to be raised.
