BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A northern Idaho lawmaker says the state should not punish people who kill federally protected gray wolves.

Republican Rep. Phil Hart unveiled legislation Friday to prohibit the state from investigating, arresting or prosecuting any person who kills a gray wolf in Idaho. The bill would also prohibit state employees from helping federal agencies arrest or prosecute someone who kills a wolf.

Those who punish, or help punish, people who kill wolves face a $500 civil penalty under the measure.

Wolves in the Northern Rockies are listed as endangered under court order, but state and federal officials have been looking for ways to curb their population.