PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Tuesday vetoed a bill allowing ranchers to kill endangered wolves in self-defense.
Senate Bill 1211 would have allowed livestock owners to kill a Mexican gray wolf if one was caught attacking livestock or a person.
Wildlife activists say the bill violated the federal Endangered Species Act.
In her veto letter, Brewer said she is a strong supporter of states’ rights but feels the bill is unnecessary and conflicts with federal law.
“A state simply does not have the power to allow a take on federal lands,” Brewer wrote.
A separate bill approved by both chambers sets up a reimbursement fund for ranchers who lose cattle to wolves. The governor has not issued a statement on House Bill 2699.
Proponents say the federal government is overstepping its boundaries with its wolf-recovery program in Arizona and New Mexico.
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