Lawmaker Drops Effort To Remove Calif. Fish And Game Commissioner For Cougar Killing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California assemblyman is no longer seeking the removal of the state's Fish and Game Commission president over his killing of a mountain lion in Idaho.

Assemblyman Ben Hueso — a Democrat from San Diego — said in a letter on Friday that he will instead work on creating legislation that would revise the conflict-of-interest code for Fish and Game commissioners and make other changes to the commission's standards and practices. The letter was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown and was also signed by Speaker of the Assembly John Perez.

Hueso had drafted a resolution to oust Fish and Game Commission President Dan Richards.

Richards has come under heavy criticism over the mountain lion shooting. Mountain lion hunting is legal in Idaho, but banned in California.

Richards has refused calls to step down.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.