Constitutional Rights IOTR

Bill adding hunting and fishing to Maine’s “Right to Food” law gets Senate approval

By RVL / April 3, 2026

Bill adding hunting and fishing to Maine’s “Right to Food” law gets Senate approval

Maine Public | By Michael Livingston
Published April 1, 2026 at 5:58 PM EDT
A flag trap sits over a fishing hole on Long Lake on Jan. 25, 2025.
Tulley Hescock
/
Maine Public
A flag trap sits over a fishing hole on Long Lake on Jan. 25, 2025.

State lawmakers have approved a bill aimed at enshring the right to harvest wildlife by hunting, fishing, and trapping into Maine law.

The bill, introduced by state senator Craig Hickman (D-Winthrop), would define the word “harvest” in the state statute so that hunting and fishing are clearly protected constitutional rights.

Opponents have raised concerns about unintended legal consequences, but Hickman said the measure was necessary.

“There are all sorts of things that exist in our food system that infringe on people’s right to feed themselves,” Hickman. “And so this amendment gives people a tool to ask the court a question.”

Gov. Janet Mills has 10 days to either sign or veto the measure, or allow it become law without her signature.

The bill has bipartisan support, including from House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor).

“I strongly believe that this legislation is a necessary step in safeguarding the long-standing tradition of harvesting wildlife through hunting, fishing, and trapping here in Maine,” Faulkingham said in a previous testimony. “For many of us, these activities are not just pastimes—they are integral to our way of life.”

 

Politics
Michael Livingston
Michael joined Maine Public as a news reporter in 2025. His roots are in Michigan where he spent three years at Interlochen Public Radio as a Report for America corps member.
See stories by Michael Livingston
NOTE:  This is what the IOTR group does by helping states get a Constitutional Right to Hunt & Fish into State Law.  Kenia Link from IOTR has been working with others to get states without a Constitutional Right to hunt or fish into law.  Check out her podcasts that are on this web page.

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