Voters back hunting amendment, re-elect GOP lawman

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah voters have approved making hunting and fishing a constitutional right and given the state’s Republican attorney general another term.

Republican lawmakers who proposed the constitutional amendment have said that it will guarantee people can hunt and fish in the future, even if public sentiment turns against the outdoor sports.

Critics have questioned the need for an amendment, but it garnered board support from voters, with about three-quarters of voters approving it.

Meanwhile, Republican Sean Reyes handily won the race for the state’s top law enforcement official against Greg Skordas, a Democratic defense attorney and former prosecutor.

Reyes first took office in late 2013 in an appointment after a corruption scandal, though his predecessor was later acquitted of criminal charges.

Reyes has made fighting human trafficking a signature issue during his tenure, and recently helped prosecute a three-state adoption fraud scheme.