SB 143 - Next Steps

[Andrew Posewitz]

Agency clean-up bill was HB 637. I do see where the max payment to a landowner through Block Management was decreased from $25,000 to $17,500. However, I need help finding the SB 143 amendment to that bill. Am I looking in the wrong place or at the wrong version?

They amended HB 637 to include the 3000 tags to outfitters this morning in the committee. I am not sure they have provided the written amendment yet for review. They also proposed to set back the block management bucks to 25k (which i think is a good thing, but can't swallow the backdoor effort on the outfitter guaranteed tags. The Montana voters have spoken clearly against this which it appears everyone is fully aware of which is why they are shoving this in at the very last moment.

 

[Gevock]

HB 637, a catch-all bill full of problems already, was just amended to give unlimited big game combination licenses this year to outfitted hunters. It would also permanently give non-resident hunters using an outfitter an extra bonus point each year, giving them a leg up to draw big game licenses.



Public hunters made it clear this session that everybody should have an equal opportunity to hunt in Montana, and this provision is just another attempt to put outfitted clients at the front of the line.



Contact your legislator and tell them to vote NO on HB 637. This is a terrible bill with numerous problems that now once again favors wealthy hunters over others. Montanans rejected special treatment for outfitted hunters, and we spoke up this session to say we want to maintain that. Montanans welcome non-resident hunters, and believe everybody should get a fair chance to come hunt here.



You can find your legislators HERE, and go here to send them an email message telling them to vote NO on HB 637. Or you can call the capitol switchboard at 406-444-4800 and leave a message for legislators.