Now before you accuse me of writing some piece of "gotcha" journalism, let me insist that there is more to the following story than the title. Yes, the Iowa director of the Department of Natural Resources was recently cited for fishing with an expired license. But there was no cover-up. No controversy. Just an honest mistake.

BleedingHeartland.com confirms that Iowa DNR Director Kayla Lyon was indeed cited for fishing without a license on March 21st in nearby Jackson County. Lyon clearly loves the outdoors, as evidenced by her Twitter feed which features many posts of her outdoor adventures, including this one hunting for deer shed antlers.


But not only is Lyon an outdoor lover, she's also a human being and makes mistakes. BleedingHeartland.com reports that Lyon reached out and confirmed her citation and explained what led to the situation.

I had my combination hunting and fishing license set to auto renew but my bank issued me a new card and I forgot to update the system. I was paddlefishing on the Mississippi last Friday [March 18]. When I was informed that I didn’t have a valid license, I asked our law enforcement chief to issue me a citation as soon as we could connect on Monday morning. It was an honest mistake but the laws apply to me just like anyone else. I have since gone online and renewed my combination license.

Lyon went on to say that she has been told that the situation is common and encourages any Iowan to check their accounts often to make sure this doesn't happen to them. I'm guessing we've all been guilty of forgetting an online account or two after switching to a new card. I know I have.

Sure, Lyon knew that her citation would be a matter of public record, kudos to her for admitting her mistake and urging others to take action.

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