 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
March 2007
03/29/2007
California Caucus Member Pushes State Preemption for Hunting and Fishing
Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, a member of the California Legislature Outdoor Sporting Caucus, has introduced a bill that would prevent cities and counties from adopting local ordinances that restrict or ban hunting and fishing activities.
03/29/2007
Tennessee Sportsmen Lobby as the “Camouflage Coalition” at Capitol
Last week, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation hosted Wildlife Heritage Day in an effort to get sportsmen and women involved in Tennessee’s legislative process. Part of that effort, Camouflage Coalition Day on the Hill, gave sportsmen the opportunity to lobby for Governor Phil Bredesen’s Northern Cumberland Plateau Land Conservation Initiative to add 40,000 acres of land to the hunting and fishing base and the “No Net Loss” public hunting and fishing lands bill supported by the Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
03/29/2007
Texas Caucus Leadership Torch Passed at Annual Shoot
The Texas Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus held their annual shoot and quail hunt last week with approximately 75 attendees. NASC State Caucus Manager Aaron Hobbs presented current House Chair Representative Carl Isett and outgoing Vice Chair Senator Craig Estes with shooting vests at the event outside of Austin.
03/22/2007
Tax Credits for Conservation Introduced in New York and Oregon
New York lawmekrs introduced a bill to create a habitat conservation and public access tax credit. In Oregon, a bill would create an income tax credit for donations of property to conservation agencies for conservation purposes.
03/22/2007
Sportsmen’s Caucus in Utah Ends First Session
Though the Utah Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus was launched near the end of the legislative session this year, nearly a dozen sportsmen-related bills were introduced in 2007, including four that passed.
03/22/2007
New Mexico Caucus Bags “Grand Slam” During Session
Members of the New Mexico Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus certainly made things more enchanting for wildlife and conservation efforts during the short 2007 legislative session. Several Caucus supported bills passed and are now waiting on the Governor's signature.
03/22/2007
Shooting Range Protection Bills Tackled in Three States
In 2007, three states with sportsmen’s caucuses have taken up debate on shooting range protections.
03/22/2007
Oregon and Michigan Promote Sportsmen Voter Registration Efforts
Senators in the Wolverine State have passed and sent a bill to open more voter registration opportunities for sportsmen to the House for a vote. In Oregon, a similar bill requiring voter registration cards be made available where sporting licenses are issued has been introduced.
03/22/2007
Maryland Legislators Serve as Defense on Multiple Attacks on Hunting and Shooting
An attempt to ban semi-automatic rifles was defeated in the Maryland Senate committee last week. The bill would have banned possession of many semi-automatic rifles and some shotguns used for hunting based on cosmetic features, an action the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus opposed in recent testimony. The Sportsmen’s Caucus has also lead the fight against bills to further restrict hunting and trapping in the Old Line State this session. One bill attempts to reclassify black bears as non-game species, an act which would no longer allow wildlife professionals to consider hunting as an option in population management.
03/08/2007
Chesapeake Bay Gets Support from Maryland Legislators and Partners
With a goal of enhancing marine ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus is taking on the ambitious task of garnering $1 million in state funding to support the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative. The project will utilize concrete rubble from the old Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Washington, D.C. to build new reefs in the Chesapeake Bay.
03/08/2007
Virginia Caucus Passes Pro-Sportsmen’s Legislation in 2007 Session
The recently closed legislative session for the General Assembly was an active one for sportsmen in the Old Dominion. As previously reported, Virginia became the 8th state to pass a “No Net Loss” bill to protect public hunting lands from closure. Lawmakers were also busy acting on a number of other issues ranging from more options for youth hunters to license fees and making license more accessible.
03/08/2007
Internet Hunting Bans Debated in Four States
Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois and Iowa legislators are actively considering bans on remote hunting via the internet thanks in part to information provided to sportsmen’s caucus members by the NASC.
03/08/2007
Maryland Caucus Takes Stand on Anti-Gun Legislation
The Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus has spoken out against a semi-automatic rifle ban introduced in the Senate. The bill would ban possession of many semi-automatic rifles and some shotguns used for hunting based on cosmetic features. The Caucus also opposed an additional 10% state tax on semi-automatic rifles based on cosmetic features. Long guns are already taxed at the federal level, in addition to the state sales tax collected in Maryland, and the proposed legislation would take the final tax bill for the sporting consumer to over 25% of the price of the firearm.
03/08/2007
Four State Legislatures Take Up Apprentice Hunting Bills
In line with efforts to promote more youth and new hunter opportunities, legislators in California, Montana, Oklahoma and Oregon have filed bills to create apprentice hunting programs.
03/08/2007
California Legislature Outdoor Sporting Caucus Enjoys "A Day in the Field"
Members and guests of the California Legislature Outdoor Sporting Caucus were able to enjoy a day of shotgun sports in Southern California. The event brought lawmakers and sportsmen together for a day of bird hunting, shooting, and discussions of the importance of our outdoor heritage.
03/01/2007
Voter Registration for Sportsmen at Issue in Five States
Providing sportsmen with voter registration opportunities is being discussed by lawmakers in Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Originally presented and passed in Georgia in 2004, NASC has worked with other states to develop an Issue Brief promoting legislation that would allow hunters and anglers to register to vote or obtain appropriate materials to do so when they purchase their sporting licenses.
03/01/2007
Virginia Becomes 8th State to Pass No Net Loss of Hunting Lands
The Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed “No Net Loss” of public hunting lands legislation, an important step in guaranteeing that current levels of public lands available to sportsmen are maintained in the face of development and other strains on resources.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|