Bill To Allow Wyoming Hunters To Wear Pink Passes Another Vote

UPDATE: At the request of Rep. Tyler Lindholm [R-Crook/Weston counties], second reading of Senate File 61 in the Wyoming House was laid back for a day on Wednesday. That means second reading of the bill will probably be conducted on Thursday and a third and final reading of the bill will probably be conducted on Friday, March 9.

A bill that would allow Wyoming hunters the option of wearing fluorescent pink rather than the traditional hunter orange as a safety measure passed the Wyoming House Committee of the Whole on Tuesday afternoon.

Senate File 61 has already passed the Wyoming Senate.

As of Wednesday morning, it faced two more readings in the state house before a decisive vote on third reading, which will likely be held on Thursday.

In floor debate on the bill, Rep. Jamie Flitner [R-Park/Big Horn counties] said testimony in committee from a textile expert had indicated the bright pink is more visible than bright orange. She quoted the expert as saying '''A dead hunter is not a macho hunter.' He personally would wear this color [pink] in the field."

Rep Scott Clem [R-Campbell County] and Rep. Stan Blake [D-Sweetwater County] argued that allowing hunters to wear pink rather than orange to identify themselves to other hunters is a personal freedom issue.

But not everyone was on board with the bill.

Rep. Bill Pownall [R-Campbell County] argued ''orange has been the standard for years for hunters." He went on to say he would ''hate to see another color added while we are hunting."

The voice vote on first reading of the bill was unclear, but a follow-up count showed 39 members of the 60-member House supported the measure, so it advanced to a scheduled second reading on Wednesday.