HB 505 - Elk Need Your Help

[shoots-straight]

Randy, (Great as always). Bret Lain (powerful). Gerald Martin (Rock Star). Thanks for your efforts. The org from the Root chicken shitted out of the drive over. Old enough to know that road sucks right as those storms are leaving the area. I did send in testimony and tried to get on Zoom but you can't do both I guess. Just those testimony's alone should have been enough. Thanks to all of you that made the trip over.

 

[Nameless Range]

Schaaf had something like 12 hours of windshield time for two minutes of testimony.That’s impressive to me.

It is always interesting to go testify in front of the legislature, or just observe testimony for that matter. I have a tough time gauging how much the representatives are understanding and how much they are open to arguments. They seemed to be listening today.

Good to finally meet some hunttalkers in person, as well as Randy.

 

[golfer]

Bam! Worsech's testimony should ring in the ears of the legislators in the room. This bill did NOT follow protocol.

Can you go into detail on this my service was cutting in and out?

 

[Spartan_Eric]

On top of all the other problems with this bill, I got really confused regarding what “at objective” even means? It doesn’t sound like it is precisely defined anywhere, and I thought I even heard along the way that it is more of a word of mouth understanding of between 80% and 120% of the sustainable population of elk for the hunting district?

Definitely today was an embarrassing showing from the legislative drafting side of the process with this slapdash effort.

 

[sacountry]

Can you go into detail on this my service was cutting in and out?

He was asked what the normal process is for FWP to introduce legislation and if that process was followed with this bill. He responded with a paraphrased answer of no this bill didn't follow the normal process, this bill didn't start inside FWP rather it was Wylie Galt's bill and Galt asked if we could assist him with it.

 

[brocksw]

Schaaf had something like 12 hours of windshield time for two minutes of testimony.

Grateful for @Schaaf for sure...on many issues not just this one.

It is always interesting to go testify in front of the legislature, or just observe testimony for that matter. I have a tough time gauging how much the representatives are understanding and how much they are open to arguments. They seemed to be listening today.

I feel the same. Even if they were listening...were they really understanding?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Grateful for @Schaaf for sure...on many issues not just this one.


I feel the same. Even if they were listening...were they really understanding?

This is why follow up is really important. Call or email legislators, thank them for a good hearing & make yourself available to answer any questions. Help guide them to the right decision by continuing to talk to them. Do it quick, be polite, restate your position & provide citations if you have them.

Give these folks the tools to make informed & thoughtful decisions.

 

[timmy]

First off...your comment about the “Montana beef boycott” wasn’t disturbing to me, it was actually comical and was almost embarrassed for you. Second...you are correct, some of us are calving right now...and you are also correct when you say that they wouldn’t approve of what’s going on in Helena.....but.....what they wouldn’t approve of is not what you think.

If you are are a true Montanan you are probably calving right now. Not all ranchers or landowners are bad. But this bill certainly is.

 

[SAJ-99]

I have been thinking about this and following it all afternoon. That you to everyone that went and spoke on our behalf.

one question. How is this bill even constitutional? It basically favor NRs over R and could be seen as mismanagement of a state resource? Someone brought up removal of FWP director, but I am thinking it would cut this bill off at the knees. What am I missing?

 

[Sytes]

Great job showing and representing.

The grotesque side presented and seemed expected for many to simply lap it up... (seems the greased legislators did)

Unfortunate.

Made it to Seeley and travel spun another direction. 'Nother story for a different day.

Great to see some quality members present. I really value all RMEF does though this lackluster, likely pressured, resistance to properly represent their #1 objective - elk. Letter sent.
Value for their opposition towards wolves forced reintroduction, opening great public land access, constant conservation success stories though this gag order or whatever one wants to characterize it as...
Sad representation for MT elk.

 

[BourbonSnowCone]

If you are are a true Montanan you are probably calving right now. Not all ranchers or landowners are bad. But this bill certainly is.

Commercial herds are calving. Most of us folks with registered herds are wrapped up. It’s a bit unfortunate so many ranchers view elk and deer herds as God’s gift to them for working so much harder than everyone else. My grandfather would cuff men like Wylie and Hinebauch about the head for treating the rest of the state like they’re lesser men than them because their ancestors didn’t start a ranch in the 1800s.

 

[Schaaf]

Just got home but as requested. Here are your sign in sheets.

 

[tniccum]

Thanks to everyone for showing up and representing!

 

[OntarioHunter]

Were there any voices of opposition from non-residents? Sorry, I had to look after my grandson in his 2nd grade virtual classroom. Deep thanks to all who risked their lives on the road and in midst of a pandemic to speak up against privatizing Montana's public resource. Some things should not change.

 

[Nameless Range]

Just got home but as requested. Here are your sign in sheets. View attachment 176712View attachment 176715

Not a single proponent that wasn’t getting paid to be there?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Not a single proponent that wasn’t getting paid to be there?

Not surprising. That happens often and it's a shining example of the power of certain lobbies.

Good to see MT SFW opposing. That's a clean sweep of sportsmen's groups opposing this thing.

Keep after it. Follow up, be polite & push the issue. No time to dawdle.

 

[Brad W]

Not surprising. That happens often and it's a shining example of the power of certain lobbies.

Good to see MT SFW opposing. That's a clean sweep of sportsmen's groups opposing this thing.

Keep after it. Follow up, be polite & push the issue. No time to dawdle.

Ben,
This may be dumb, but what is the acceptable time to start calling reps? My work day starts earlier than most.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben,
This may be dumb, but what is the acceptable time to start calling reps? My work day starts earlier than most.

I'd not call before 9 am mst.

They are in committee starting around 8, so expect voicemail. Between 11 am and 1 pm is good, with no committees then, floor session starts at 1 pm & usually goes until 3 pm. 3 PM until around 5 is committee work again.

5-8 pm work well.

 

[Brad W]

I'd not call before 9 am mst.

They are in committee starting around 8, so expect voicemail. Between 11 am and 1 pm is good, with no committees then, floor session starts at 1 pm & usually goes until 3 pm.

5-8 pm work as well.

Thank you. Exactly what I wanted to know.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I was there today and was amazed at the what seemed to be comradery between a handful of the committe members and most all of the proponents. I guess deals really are done behind closed doors.

This.

Inside that building, relationships are king. Those lobbyists and their organizations host cocktail events, symposiums, do legislator outreach during the interim & have every legislator on speed dial, because that's their job.

The Hunting & Angling community has 1 person doing this work fulltime: Montana Trout Unlimited. Every other group tries to incorporate legislative work into their work plans.

The Farm Bureau usually has between 2-3 full time lobbyists. Stockgrowers has 1-2, and MOGA has a high-powered lobby firm representing them, as well as spending staff time working the legislature 24/7, 365.

So that comradery is real. Not necessarily because the legislator always agrees with a group, or with a position, but because there are long-standing, trusted relationships with those organizations.

Until sportsmen in MT do the same, and dedicate staff to full-time maintenance of the Legislature, we will always be facing this kind of onslaught across the country, not just in MT. If you want to be successful, you have to play the game using the rules. Showing up to testify in righteous anger feels good, but it doesn't build relationships, and it doesn't always build trust.