House members have fun with pink hunting bill

Dressed in a pink blazer, Republican Rep. Jessica Bahmuller from Alexandria spoke in favor of HB1228, which would allow fluorescent pink as a safety color for hunters as well as blaze orange. Bahmuller said some studies indicate that fluorescent pink does not appear in nature and is more visible to the human eye.

Republican Rep. Marty Overweg of New Holland, sporting a pink tie, decided to have some fun with the bill and its sponsor. He asked Bahmuller if wearing pink would increase a hunter’s accuracy. Bahmuller said she didn’t know. Overweg said he would dress his granddaughters in pink and his grandsons in orange to tell better who made the shot. And he was putting his money on the pink-clad granddaughters.

He also wondered, “As an avid hunter, if I went out and both an article of hunting clothing that was now bright pink blaze pink, is there anything in codified law that could force my hunting buddies to let me ride in the cab of the pickup?” Bahmuller said she didn’t think so, “but it’s something we could possibly look at in the future,” she smiled.

Bahmuller said nine other states allow fluorescent pink for hunters. All but one representative was tickled pink about the bill, and it passed 68 to 1.