Latest News

February 22, 2021

Nebraska: Let the Commission Do Its Job!

Contact: Kent Keene, Senior Coordinator, Lower Midwestern States and Agriculture Policy As readers may have noticed, Nebraska has recently been a battleground for legislation seeking to undermine the ability of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) to do its job. For the Cornhusker State’s 422,074 paid hunting and fishing license holders, these bills pose…

February 22, 2021

Outdoor Sporting Community Bands Together Against New Mexico Trapping Ban

Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Rocky Mountain States Senior Coordinator and Internal MARCOMM Liaison Sportsmen and women have made their voice loud and message simple – public land trapping is not going down without a fight in New Mexico. Despite passing through the Senate Conservation Committee on a 7-2 vote, Senate Bill 32 (SB 32) – Wildlife…

February 22, 2021

Science Trumps Emotion on Misguided Attempt to Ban Soft Plastic Lures in Maine

Contact: Joe Mullin, Assistant Manager, Northeastern States On February 17, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) provided an update for the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife regarding the report on Legislative Document (LD) 695, “An Act to Require Biodegradable Hooks and Lures for Freshwater Fishing.” As previously reported, LD 695 was…

February 22, 2021

Senate to Hold Final Confirmation Vote for Agriculture Secretary Nominee Tom Vilsack

On February 23, the United States Senate will hold a final confirmation vote for Tom Vilsack to serve as the next Secretary of Agriculture. Following a unanimous vote by members of the Senate Agriculture Committee on February 2, Vilsack is expected to be confirmed with strong bipartisan support this week. Ahead of his confirmation hearing…

February 22, 2021

Sportsmen’s Caucus Leads Effort to Legalize Online Raffles in West Virginia

Contact: John Culclasure, Southeastern States Assistant Director On February 12, West Virginia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) Co-Chair Senator Bill Hamilton introduced legislation that would allow raffles to be conducted online. With the limitations on in-person gatherings caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, hunting and fishing conservation nonprofit organizations across the country have been unable to host…

February 22, 2021

Virtual Conservation Policy Forum Held in the North Star State

Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager On February 16, the Minnesota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) hosted a virtual conservation policy forum that was co-hosted with the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA). This was the first event held by the Caucus in several years and the first virtual event a National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucus (NASC) has held…