Judge issues ruling in fight over N.M. hunting law

NewsNM - Shouldn't the issue be that out of state can hunt when there are no more New Mexicans wanting to hunt? From the Santa Fe New Mexican - by Susan Montoya Bryan of the Associated Press - ALBUQUERQUE — A federal judge on Thursday sided partly with a group of outfitters from four Western states who complained their constitutional rights to conduct business in New Mexico were being upended by changes to the state's hunting draw.  The outfitters had asked U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo to issue an injunction and temporary restraining order to keep New Mexico's law from taking effect.  The outfitters are challenging language that specifies 10 percent of hunting tags awarded through New Mexico's annual big game draw would go to those hunters who hired New Mexico-based outfitters.  Before the law was changed last year, an outfitter's location didn't matter.  "This is brand new and that's why we challenged it," said Albuquerque attorney B.J. Crow, who is representing the plaintiffs. "Basically, it was excluding any out-of-state outfitter from doing business in New Mexico, which is unconstitutional."  Armijo ruled that the plaintiffs who operate as individual outfitters or sole proprietors would be eligible for the 10 percent pool for this year's draw. The plaintiffs include outfitters from Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and Washington.  Read more

Judge issues ruling in fight over N.M. hunting law