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March15, 2006
Volume 4, Issue 9
State Caucus Update
Sportsmen’s Caucuses Rallying Behind Youth Hunting Legislation
Virginia Caucus Closes Session with Many Wins
Kentucky Internet Hunting Ban Passes House Unanimously
Sunday Hunting Taken Up in Three States
Maryland Moves Remote Hunting and Veteran License Fee Bills
Minnesota Legislators Pass Dedicated Funding Proposal
No Net Loss Measure Introduced in Louisiana
Illinois Caucus Hosts Annual Banquet
South Carolina Tackles Sportsmen Voter Registration Bill and Internet Hunting Ban
West Virginia Passes No Net Loss Legislation
Sportsmen’s Caucuses Rallying Behind Youth Hunting Legislation
From Florida to New York, state sportsmen’s caucuses are promoting bills that attempt to decrease barriers keeping young hunters out of the field. Caucus Co-Chairman and NASC Executive Council member Representative Baxter Troutman (R-Winter Haven) introduced HB 471 which allows the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to let hunters defer the hunter safety course requirement for one year and be issued a restricted hunting license for use during a supervised hunt. In Tennessee, the House Committee on Government Operations recommended passage on Caucus Co-Chair Representative Joe McCord’s (R-Maryville) HB 3550. The bill permits the Wildlife Resources Commission to create a one time permit valid for one year exempting new hunters from hunter education requirements when they are under control of an experienced hunter.
Oklahoma Representative Mike Jackson’s (R-Enid) HB 2563 was sent to the Senate Committee on Tourism and Wildlife after passing the House recently. The bill allows those under 16 to hunt with a fully licensed hunter over 21 before taking a hunter safety course and young hunters with certification from a hunter safety course may hunt small game unaccompanied. The measure also creates an apprentice license for other new hunters over the age of 16. In New York, A 10192 will allow 14 and 15 year olds to hunt for big game with an apprentice license.
Virginia Caucus Closes Session with Many Wins
On Saturday, the Virginia General Assembly closed its normal session, rounding out a great year for sportsmen in the state. NASC and the Sportsmen’s Caucus closely monitored more than 30 bills during the short session, with an overwhelming majority of the priority bills signed by the Governor. The 2006 session brought topics as varied as boating safety requirements, hunters feeding the hungry support, new shooting range protections, youth trapping licenses and free hunting and fishing licenses for some members of military. In addition, the Old Dominion State’s sportsmen legislators held weekly briefings to discuss the progress of relevant legislation. NASC kicked off the series with a presentation on the Sportsmen-Legislator Summit in November and efforts of other caucuses around the nation. The Caucus also met with the National Wild Turkey Federation and Department of Game and Inland Fisheries officials about issues of concern to hunters, anglers and trappers. For more information, click here.
Kentucky Internet Hunting Ban Passes House Unanimously
Kentucky legislators moved one step closer to keeping remote hunting via the internet out of the Bluegrass State by passing HB 289 unanimously in the House on Monday. The measure was introduced by Caucus Co-Chair Representative Robin Webb (D-Grayson) who learned about the issue at the First NASC Annual Meeting in Texas. It now heads to the Senate for a vote.
Sunday Hunting Taken Up in Three States
The issue of hunting on Sundays likely seems foreign as a political debate to the residents of the 43 states that allow it. However, residents in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia are not allowed to take to the fields during half of the weekend. Other states like Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia allow only limited Sunday hunts. Legislators in Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania are currently seeking to bring their hunting laws in line with the majority of the country. For details on their efforts, visit here.
Maryland Moves Remote Hunting and Veteran License Fee Bills
On Monday, the Maryland Senate passed S.521, a bill to outlaw internet hunting. NASC Executive Council President and Caucus Co-Chair Senator John Astle (D-Annapolis) introduced the legislation last month. It now heads to the House for a vote.
Last week, the House passed HB 282 unanimously. The measure, which is headed to the Senate, extends the duration of a complimentary hunter's license for disabled military veterans and POWs from one year to the lifetime of the license.
Minnesota Legislators Pass Dedicated Funding Proposal
The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in Minnesota last week voted in favor of a bill to require that one-fourth of one percent of the state sales tax be dedicated to natural and cultural resource purposes. The additional funds, if passed by the legislature, would go to the voters on the November ballot as an amendment to the state constitution. Revenue from the tax going toward natural resources would be broken down as follows: 34% of the receipts may be spent only to improve, enhance, or protect the state's fish, wildlife, habitat, and fish and wildlife tourism; 22% shall spent only on parks, trails, and zoos in the state; 22% may be spent only on protection and restoration of the state's lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater. This dedicated funding proposal, S.2734, is now headed to the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee.
No Net Loss Measure Introduced in Louisiana
Louisiana Caucus Co-Chair Senator Joe McPherson (D-Woodworth) prefiled S.30 last week to preserve public fishing and hunting lands. Based on model legislation provided through NASC, the bill would ensure that before public lands available to hunt and fish are closed, the same number of acres would be reopened elsewhere to maintain the current level of public outdoor sporting grounds. Each year a report on the number of acres open to the activities must be filed with the Senate and House Committees on Natural Resources.
Illinois Caucus Hosts Annual Banquet
The Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus held its Annual Dinner and Banquet on Tuesday at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Each year the Caucus donates profits from the event to the Illinois Conservation Foundation for use in their youth and handicapped outdoor programs. Approximately 350 people attended, including members of the local chapters of Pheasants Forever and National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Caucus raised more than $15,000 for the programs. Caucus Co-Chair and NASC Executive Council Secretary Representative Dan Reitz (D-Sparta) said, “We’re very excited to have this event and raise money for an important cause each year. This year’s event saw record legislator participation with 50 of my colleagues at the banquet. It just shows that good things happen when the Sportsmen’s Caucus gets together for our constituents.”
South Carolina Tackles Sportsmen Voter Registration Bill and Internet Hunting Ban
Last week, HB 4780 was introduced in South Carolina to provide more opportunities for sportsmen to register to vote. The bill will allow each registration form for fishing or hunting licenses to also serve as an application for voter registration. Based on legislation initially passed in Georgia, sportsmen legislators have embraced this effort to make it easier for sportsmen to be involved in the political process when the protection of their outdoor heritage is at stake.
Tuesday, HB 3879 was passed out of the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Subcommittee. A bill to ban internet hunting, it is sponsored by Representative Mike Pitts (R-Laurens) who told the Subcommittee, “We are in an era where we need to clearly define who hunters are, and we certainly don’t need to give any ammunition to the anti-hunting groups to use in public debate. This bill clearly takes us in that direction.” South Carolina legislators who are working to form a sportsmen’s caucus learned about both pieces of legislation while participating in NASC events.
West Virginia Passes No Net Loss Legislation
Legislators in West Virginia passed a no net loss of hunting and shooting lands bill and sent it to Governor Joe Manchin recently. HB 3119 would require the Division of Natural Resources to maintain the current level of public lands open to hunting and shooting. If areas are closed to the activities, the same number of acres must be opened somewhere else in the state to guarantee that West Virginia sportsmen can enjoy the outdoors. The measure also requires the DNR to support, promote and enhance recreational hunting and shooting opportunities and give preference to hunting and shooting over other uses of division owned wildlife management area lands.
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