Non-resident outfitter license (MT) Bill is up for hearing 2/2/2021 (SB 143)

[Nameless Range]

Are the concerns of outfitters real? Yes, but I'm hearing so many red herrings, so much just flat out incorrect statements, so much cutsie ah shucks BS. Who knew we here at HuntTalk were so uninformed?

Hard to watch.

On a side note, I strongly dislike that senators and proponents and opponents can attend remotely.

 

[ChaosOneZero]

State Senator Kerns from the Great Falls area supports 143. Remember that Great Falls guys.

I think it was actually Scot Kearns, from House District 23, who said he supports it because, shocker, some of the monies generated from SB 143 will benefit his bill, HB something or other (HB 120, maybe?), I didn't catch the name but @Ben Lamb probably knows what it is.

 

[d-edward]

Are the concerns of outfitters real? Yes, but I'm hearing so many red herrings, so much just flat out incorrect statements, so much cutsie ah shucks BS. Who knew we here at HuntTalk were so uninformed?

Hard to watch.

On a side note, I strongly dislike that senators and proponents and opponents can attend remotely.

Senators facing the music died along with the truth and empirical data, as @SAJ-99 pointed out.

 

[Addicting]

Wow, this is painful. If your going to invest the money into a trip to speak, write down what you wanted to say.....

 

[8andcounting]

Is it fair to say the strategy is to inflate perceived support for the bill by packing the hearing with all available outfitters or guides to testify in support? I don't purport to know where everyone in MT stands on this bill, but to a casual onlooker...one might think this is a slam dunk to pass the bill, no?

It might seem That way but I’d be shocked if it passes

 

[Hunt West]

It might seem That way but I’d be shocked if it passes

I hope you are right, but I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t make it out of committee.

 

[MTGomer]

Sort of reminds me of what I imagine a breadline looks like.
Hair cuts and all.

 

[Big Fin]

I hope you are right, but I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t make it out of committee.

I suspect it'll make it out of committee. The skids were greased heavily with political capital and debt repayment.

This is one step of the process and this bill is part of a much bigger effort. Lots more work if this makes it out of committee.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I hope you are right, but I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t make it out of committee.

It's going to come out on a party-line vote.

Meateater just posted a story on it: https://www.themeateater.com/conser...ity-of-non-resident-tags-to-outfitted-hunters

 

[Carnage2011]

It's going to come out on a party-line vote.

Meateater just posted a story on it: https://www.themeateater.com/conser...ity-of-non-resident-tags-to-outfitted-hunters

One question I want to clear up. They want 25% of tags to go to people with 0 preference points...so I’m assuming they are referring to Non residents applying for combo tags? Not limited entry permits requiring bonus points?

 

[Ben Lamb]

One question I want to clear up. They want 25% of tags to go to people with 0 preference points...so I’m assuming they are referring to Non residents applying for combo tags? Not limited entry permits requiring bonus points?

IIRC, that's existing code, so that there are some tags that can be drawn by folks w/0 points.

 

[golfer]

One question I want to clear up. They want 25% of tags to go to people with 0 preference points...so I’m assuming they are referring to Non residents applying for combo tags? Not limited entry permits requiring bonus points?

My question on is is the 25% out of the entire pool or 25% of the the 10% allocated to NR.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Those in favor were highly prepared in their support, no doubt.

 

[BRI]

To hell with "Save the Cowboy" Next up....."Save the Outfitter".

 

[idahohuntr]

I saw a long line of outfitters say they support this, offering little more than 'I'm a 3rd generation outfitter who wants public subsidy'. The people who spoke in opposition provided substantial intellectual arguments. I know politicians don't vote based on logic, intellect, and persuasive argument...but if they did, the folks who have spoken thus far in opposition have made very compelling points...hats off to them.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Those in favor were highly prepared in their support, no doubt.

It's as if they were one organization, who had lobbyists help draft talking points, testimony, etc.

So we know MOGA, Stockgrowers, UPOM and whom else supports? I had the step out for a bit on proponents.

 

[Nameless Range]

The inability of people, both proponent and opponent, to be succinct, is quite the brain friction.

 

[Bullbrl]

I saw a long line of outfitters say they support this, offering little more than 'I'm a 3rd generation outfitter who wants public subsidy'. The people who spoke in opposition provided substantial intellectual arguments. I know politicians don't vote based on logic, intellect, and persuasive argument...but if they did, the folks who have spoken thus far in opposition have made very compelling points...hats off to them.

Exactly! I'm a 2nd or 3rd get outfitter, I want to keep doing it, but it's hard and I need help from you. Please make sure I get guaranteed business, thank you for your support.

Does that about sum it up?

 

[Hunt&FishCO]

Sorry for these marginally legible notes; I only was able to catch the first 15 min or so.

Main takeaway that was new to me was that of the $2.4M - $2.8M ARR that would be collected would go to 25% Easements, 25% PALS Act, 25% block mgmt funds, 25% to fund disable MT veterans hunting permits.

Of the existing NR available tags (~10%) 60% allocation to Outfitters will be revised down to 40 - 45% (future amendments/ revision) to be inline with historical average, requiring NR to pay an additional $200 “Early Bird” fee to hunt with Outfitter and reserve a tag.

Overall impression is that the state senator (Jason Ellsworth) did not know what was in his bill, where the #’s came from, and pegged it as a ‘rural stimulus plan’

 

[Hunt West]

Someone needs to teach Ellsworth a basic statistics class but I guess it really is semantics as they are carefully wording responses.