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Montana Wildlife Federation Hosts Lobby Day at Capitol |
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February 24, 2007 Dear Email Sentry: This email is intended to provide updates to where the Legislature stands concerning critical actions over on bills happening in the next couple of days then next week. Committees need to clean out bills before the transmittal deadline, February 28, minus 24 hrs - they need to be voted on -up or down in committee- 24 hr before transmittal or they are dead. Law requires 24 hrs. between 2nd reading on the floor and 3rd. It is rumored that committees that have not made it entirely through their list of bills may be meeting this Saturday to finish their work. Transmittal day is Wed - meaning everything has to be done Monday at the latest - except for those bills that have a general budget fiscal note; these have an open deadline extension, as it applies to all appropriation bills, which is March 29. The bills highlighted below in BOLD, ARE IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US. HB484, Game Damage Bill - rumor has been spreading that this
bill is dead. It is not. second vote trying to resurrect the
bill last night - for the second time -ended in a tie vote. You would think this bill is dead. No -- HB642 - This anti-access Milburn bill died in committee last night on a vote of 15-4 and will not surface again unless there is an attempt to blast it out on the floor. Not much likelihood on this one. Thank you to all that sent hundreds of emails and made phone calls. Now we need to continue and concentrate our work on passing SB78 (see below). HB424 - This is Debbie Barrett's bill revising the stream access law and requiring FWP to mark all legal access at bridges and more - has also been tabled in committee - but the same caution applies as it does to HB484 above - it has a fiscal note of $400k+ per year, part for FWP and part for DEQ -- never-the-less we believe it won't resurface and is probably dead. HB440-revise and update state's wolf management plan including radio tracking - this bill has passed the (H) FWP committee almost on a partisan vote of 12-7. HB389 - Barrett bill directing FWP to rewrite the state elk plan PASSED out of the house and is transmitted to the Senate. This bill again will be addressed after the transmittal break and people should be sending messages to Senators on the (S) Fish and Game committee (see below) that this is not needed and backward thinking - it does not get at the root of the problem in managing elk which is a.) harboring, b.) exclusive access, and c.) commercial ventures that preclude public hunting. We can stop this thing in the Senate if we try. SB78 - With the demise of HB642 - It is now time to pull out the stops to get this bill passed out of committee. We need as many letters to editors- etc - as we can muster. Messaging - Please consider a couple points when you contact HOUSE FWP COMMITTEE MEMBERS - this bill, now more than ever, deserves a fair chance to be heard on the House Floor for good debate. It passed out of the Senate with solid bi-partisan support! Also, when the similar bill, HB560 died at the last session, it died because of a partisan tie. If this committee lets this bill die the same way or due to strong partisan politics - the second bill in two sessions - there will very likely be a pretty big public outcry and in turn influence their elections!!! Tell them, Let them know!!! Hunters and anglers have created a good-faith effort to resolve issues and we are not the least bit interested AT ALL in taking anything from landowners!!! If you know of any landowners we can get to write a letter, contact a legislator or testify -- we can certainly use the help. The Montana Stockgrowers Association cannot be allowed to kill our good faith effort, take away our stream access rights, or influence legislators enough to kill our bill or shift the politics--they care little about any one legislator, except a few of their staunch supporters, getting elected!!! Thank you; Now's the time to give your strongest support. Montana's wildlife, lands, waters, and our hunting/fishing legacy depends upon it. Senate FISH AND GAME House FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS Comm. |
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Thank you for all you do for Montana's public lands, wildlife, and fair-chase hunting and fishing heritage. Montana Wildlife Federation, with nearly 7,000 members, is the largest and oldest statewide nonprofit wildlife conservation organization of hunters and anglers who work to protect Montana's lands and waters and its hunting and fishing heritage. To learn more about MWF, go to www.montanawildlife.com. |
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This message is brought to you by the Montana Wildlife Federation ... Montana's largest, statewide wildlife conservation organization with over 7,000 members. |
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Thank
you once more for standing up for Montana's wildlife heritage. |
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| For More Info: | Larry Copenhaver, Conservation
Director Montana Wildlife Federation (406) 458-0227 • (800) 517-7256 Email: lcopenhaver@mtwf.org |
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