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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Handyman sentenced in Little Caesars case ... Bear hanging out behind Timeout Sports Bar ... ODOT's $120 million Highway 62 bypass project starts today ... Handyman sentenced in Little Caesars case ... Bear hanging out behind Timeout Sports Bar ... ODOT's $120 million Highway 62 bypass project starts today ... OUR VIEW Our View: Wolf bill ethics complaint misguided Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 5, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated May 5, 2016 at 9:05 AM Posted May. 5, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated May 5, 2016 at 9:05 AM » Social News An environmental group that filed ethics complaints against State Rep. Sal Esquivel and two other lawmakers over statements they made about a wolf delisting bill is howling up the wrong tree. Esquivel, R-Medford, along with Reps. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, and Greg Barreto, R-Cove, were advocating for House Bill 4040, which affirmed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission's decision to delist the gray wolf from Oregon Endangered Species Act protection. The bill passed the House, then the Senate, and Gov. Kate Brown signed it into law. Cascadia Wildlands filed a complaint against the three lawmakers alleging they violated rules that prohibit legislators from making false statements about legislation. The group says the three claimed the bill would not preclude a court challenge of the delisting decision. In fact, the group maintains, a Legislative Counsel review of the bill after it passed the House found it did preclude court challenges, and the state Appeals Court cited the bill when it dismissed the group's lawsuit last month. Esquivel says he was going on what he knew of the bill at the time, and did not intentionally mislead anyone. A reading of the bill in its various incarnations as it made its way through the Legislature is confusing to say the least. As originally introduced, the bill appeared to clearly say anyone could petition the Wildlife Commission to change the status of a species, and to file a court challenge if the commission failed to act as requested. The amended version that eventually passed the House replaced that language, but the final version doesn't explicitly forbid court review, either. In any case, many things are said about many bills, by many people, in the heat of a legislative session. We don't disagree that legislators should do their homework and know what they're talking about, but over the course of a session, some of those statements are bound to be less than precisely accurate. This complaint smacks of sour grapes. The environmental group came out on the losing end of legislation and first got mad, and now is trying to get even. This threat to the legislative process may or may not lead to an ethics violation, but if interest groups can file complaints over every alleged misstatement, it likely will lead to limiting debate and discussion, effectively closing off the public even more from the state's decision-makers. MailTribune.com Writer Posted May. 5, 2016 at 2:00 AM Updated May 5, 2016 at 9:05 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501