Legislative Success

During the 2006 legislative session, nearly 3,000 bills were introduced in state legislatures with the potential to impact hunters, anglers and trappers. The National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses tracked hundreds of those bills. In states with sportsmen's caucuses, more than 180 bills passed concerning hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation. Here are the highlights of the last legislative session:

• Hunting Made Easier for Newcomers - Legislation focused on giving youth and other newcomers expanded opportunities to hunt passed in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Tenneessee and Virginia through the efforts of state sportsmen's caucuses. These states join Maryland, Oregon and Pennsylvania who passes legislation in 2005.


• Security Blanket for State Public Hunting Lands - Every day hunting land is lost to development and restrictive regulations that preclude its use. Through "No Net Loss" legislation, sportsmen's caucuses are taking steps to ensure state public hunting lands will always be available by requiring that states maintain at least the level of available public hunting land that currently exists. Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi passed "No Net Loss" legislation in 2006, joining Illinois, Arkansas, Maryland and Georgia.


• Honoring Those Who Serve, Hunt and Fish - Paying honor to our men and women in uniform, sportsmen's caucuses in California, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota and Pennsylvania passed legislation offering special hunting and/or fishing licenses for veterans and members of the military.


• Funding Fish and Wildlife - Addressing funding issues for fish and wildlife agencies, several states passes measures to enhance funding for fish and wildlife needs. These states included: California, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Pennsylvania.


• Internet Hunting Ban - The controversial practice of remote hunting via the internet was banned in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina, joining states that have already banned the practice - California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia.

For the most up-to-date information, please read State Matters, our weekly electronic newsletter, visit individual state caucus webpages or contact the NASC staff.

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