Rep. LaFontaine's hunting invite to senator ignored

Hunting season is just a few days away and an invitation from state Rep. Andrea LaFontaine to a Democratic senator to join LaFontaine for the hunt and learn a bit about the hunters' culture has been ignored.

LaFontaine, a Columbus Township Republican who represents a portion of Macomb County, was reacting to a recent statement by state Sen. Rebekah Warren, who questioned the legitimacy of the annual hunting season recess by the Legislature.

An Ann Arbor Democrat, Warren received a few cold stares when she referred to the traditional  hunting break as "proof the male-dominated culture is alive and well" in Lansing.

LaFontaine and fellow GOP Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons of the Grand Rapids area sent a highly publicized invitation to Warren that included a photo of LaFontaine after she had bagged a turkey and a pic of Lyons with an impressive buck.

LaFontaine, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, said in the accompanying press release that “hunting is something you should experience firsthand in order to fully appreciate its rich history and our natural resources.

The invite reminded Warren of Michigan’s hunting heritage and the contribution made by hunters to the state’s tourism/recreation economy.

The senator said she did not respond because the way the invitation was handled showed that LaFontaine and Lyons were out for publicity.

In addition, Warren later said the GOP reps missed the point, which was that “most people that I represent don't get paid time off to go hunting.”