Black bears are facing potential "mass murder" in Florida because of a new bill that passed in both state legislative chambers, according to state Representative Katherine Waldron.
The bill, titled Taking of Bears, would allow Floridians to kill black bears who threaten them on their property. Under the new bill, residents will not be penalized if they kill a black bear while fearing death or serious bodily harm to themselves or a pet, or if they believe their home may be substantially damaged. The state Senate passed the bill in February, and the state House passed it Thursday. It is now headed to Governor Ron DeSantis' desk.
Waldron, a Democrat, said the bill would be abused by people who want to hunt bears.
"I'm not in favor of enabling the mass murder of bears," she said in the House chamber, adding, "This bill is based on fear and not facts. Make no mistake, this bill was created by and for people looking for any excuse to be able to hunt and kill a bear."
"Bears will not bother you if you behave responsibly," Waldron said. She continued: "Zero people have been murdered by black bears in our state. You are 60,000 times more likely to be murdered by another human."
Waldron told Newsweek via email Friday: "I would like to ask that our governor not sign this bill. We already have 'Stand Your Ground' laws that provide for defending oneself against a black bear, using deadly force."
Newsweek contacted DeSantis' office via email for comment.
If a person kills a bear, they must notify the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) within 24 hours, the bill said.
It also said the person could not "lure the bear with food or attractants for an illegal purpose" and could not "posses, sell, or dispose of the bear or its parts" after killing it.
Waldron argued that there are "no mechanisms in place" in the bill to prevent Floridians from killing too many bears.
In the 1970s, when the black bear population in Florida dropped to between 300 and 500, black bears were listed as one of the state's threatened species. Black bears were taken off Florida's threatened species list in 2012, and their population is now estimated to exceed 4,000, the FWC's website said.
"It took close to 50 years to bring the black bear population up from only 300–500 bear[s] to today's estimated 4,050 bears here in Florida—and that is still not a lot. My fear is this will allow people to kill bears, unchecked and unprosecuted," Waldron told Newsweek.
"No black bears have ever killed anyone in Florida in recorded history. This bill puts no limit on the number of female bears or even cubs that can be killed and further loosens the ability of the FWC to investigate and hold bad actors accountable," she continued.
State Representative Jason Shoaf, a Republican who sponsored Taking of Bears, said in the House chamber that the bill "in no way" inhibits the FWC's ability to investigate a bear killing.
"If someone is found to have lured a bear, or if someone is found to have shot a bear that climbed up a tree or wasn't destroying their dwelling, or threatening their child or their pet, they will go to jail," Shoaf said.
He said wildlife officials "will be watching diligently once this bill is passed to make an example of the first person who tries to use this as some type of defense, and I'll be there at the trial to make sure they get the justice they deserve."
Newsweek contacted Shoaf's office via phone for comment.
Update 3/8/24, 12:32 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Waldron.
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