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April 25, 2006
Volume 4, Issue 16
State Caucus Update
Idaho Caucus Closes Highly Successful Session
Nebraska Passes Hunting License Measure as Session Ends
Colorado Assembly Passes Youth and Military Hunting License Bills
Louisiana Legislature Moving Sportsmen’s Bills
Florida House Passes No Net Loss Bill
Oklahoma Legislature Votes on Hunting License Changes
California Assembly Considers Fish & Game Preemption Bill
Minnesota Legislature Working to Finalize Dedicated Funding Amendment
Rowse Memorial Wildlife Policy Fellowship Position Open
Idaho Caucus Closes Highly Successful Session
Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed several sportsmen’s bills to ease the process of hunting for individuals with disabilities and medical conditions as legislators ended their session. S.1258 allows permits to be issued to a state long term care facility so that residents are not required to obtain individual hunting, fishing, & trapping permits. With the passage of S.1385, proof of disability for hunting or fishing licenses must only be shown once, requiring the state to maintain records instead of the individual. Gov. Kempthorne also signed S.1391 allowing children with life threatening medical conditions to participate in specific hunts without a license and provides for the issuance of permits or tags at no costs to the child.
Tightening regulations, S.1386 increases the statute of limitations on poaching violations involving big game and on charges against non-residents illegally purchasing resident licenses. In addition, the Governor signed HB 686 to create a tax exemption for membership dues to non-profit hunting or shooting sports organizations and fees to use shooting ranges. A friend of hunters and anglers, Gov. Kempthorne was a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus when he served in the U.S. Senate and was recently nominated to become the Department of Interior Secretary.
On the defensive front, Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair and NASC Executive Council member Senator David Langhorst (D-Boise) declared that swelling opposition from sportsmen and the work of sportsman legislators led to the withdrawal of bills backed by anti-hunters regarding private game farms during the session. Several groups were credited with working to generate phone calls into the State House, urging lawmakers to defeat legislation on this locally hot topic.Nebraska Passes Hunting License Measure as Session Ends
The Nebraska Legislative Sportsmen’s Forum passed a significant sportsmen’s package as it wrapped up the 2006 legislative session. Rolling everything into one bill, Senators Ed Schrock (Elm Creek), a Caucus Co-Chair, and Elaine Stuhr (Bradshaw) introduced L.162, the result of two years of the Nebraska Game and Park Commission coordinating with a working group to examine its permitting process. Based on recommendations, the final legislative package had numerous pro-hunting and fishing initiatives ranging from encouraging sportsmen to purchase lifetime licenses to creating extra funds for waterfowl habitat. First, it creates a state migratory waterfowl stamp with funds generated from the new stamp dedicated to managing, enhancing and buying easements on migratory waterfowl habitat. The bill also creates a variety of flexible hunting and fishing permits for resident and non-resident sportsmen as well as creates a $5 license for any war veteran over 64 or any state resident over the age of 69.
Colorado Assembly Passes Youth and Military Hunting License Bills
S.194, introduced by Caucus Co-Chair Senator Lois Tochtrop (D-Westminster), now awaits the Governor’s signature makes it more affordable for youth under 18 to hunt in Colorado by authorizing the state’s game commission to issues small game licenses for one dollar and big game licenses at a reduced rate. The bill also allows the commission to establish a special hunting license preference for terminally ill youth under 21 years of age.
The Colorado General Assembly also passed S.215 to allow the commission to establish preferences in big game tag drawings for active duty military personnel stationed in Colorado after their return from overseas duty.Louisiana Legislature Moving Sportsmen’s Bills
In Louisiana, the House recently passed HB 1060, introduced by Representative John Smith (D-Vernon Parish), which extends the privilege of purchasing hunting and fishing licenses at the resident rate to active duty military members. The bill also allows active military who are residents of Louisiana and their family to purchase hunting and fishing licenses for only $5. Rep. Smith has also introduced HB 1226 to amend present law which only authorizes the use of a crossbow by handicapped individuals or persons over the age of 60 during the firearm season to allow for the use of a crossbow to take deer during the gun season to all licensed hunters.
Caucus Co-Chair Senator Joe McPherson’s (D-Woodworth) “No Net Loss” bill passed the Senate yesterday and is now one step closer to becoming law. Two more bills wait for final reading on the Senate floor: S.171 which would ban internet hunting and S.329 which would create a youth apprentice license.Florida House Passes No Net Loss Bill
Yesterday, the Florida House passed HB 265, their version of a “No Net Loss” of hunting lands bill, by a vote of 118-0. The bill will require the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to preserve the current number of acres available to public hunting from year to year. The Senate version passed out of committee and is now headed for a floor vote where opposition has been quieted since the addition of an amendment to ensure public parks will not be opened to hunting should other areas be closed.
Oklahoma Legislature Votes on Hunting License Changes
Sooner State Representatives are preparing to vote on a Senate amended version of HB 2077 to exempt Oklahoma residents serving in armed forces from required special use permits to hunt or fish on private lands managed by Department of Wildlife Commission.
California Assembly Considers Fish & Game Preemption Bill
Currently, the California Assembly is considering A.2146 to order the of Department Fish and Game to review all city and county fishing and hunting ordinances in order to identify each that may be in conflict with state law and unconstitutional. The measure would also forbid localities from adopting an ordinance that impacts the otherwise legal taking of fish and game unless the ordinance is necessary and narrowly tailored to protect public health and safety and has only an incidental effect. This bill codifies a nearly 80-year-old state Supreme Court ruling that considered fish and wildlife harvest laws are left to the state.
Minnesota Legislature Working to Finalize Dedicated Funding Amendment
Legislators in Minnesota are currently working on details of House and Senate versions of a constitutional amendment to create dedicated funding for hunting and fishing habitat programs. Yesterday, the House passed a version to allocate 3/16 of 1% of the existing sales tax to pay for the programs. The Senate previously acted on a version that would instead raise the current sales tax by 3/8 of 1% in order to fund the programs for sportsmen. If the House and Senate agree on language, the amendment would then be sent to voters on the November ballot.
Rowse Memorial Wildlife Policy Fellowship Position Open
Applications for the July – December 2006 Rowse Wildlife Policy Fellowship are now being accepted. The Rowse Fellow is a full-time paid position that gives natural resource students the opportunity to learn the importance of the public policy process on hunting, fishing and conservation issues. For more information, click here. A resume, three references, a college transcript and two writing samples (one general and one technical writing sample are preferred) may be sent to Kelli Wagner at kelli@sportsmenslink.org or mailed to:
Rowse Memorial Fellowship Program
c/o Kelli Wagner
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
110 North Carolina Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003
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