State: FL

Contact: Clay Chester, Southeastern States Coordinator On July 22, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission (Commission) approved draft changes to flounder regulations. The changes included measures aimed at rebuilding the flounder fishery in the state.  Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute recently released a stock assessment of the flounder population which indicated a…

Contact: Clay Chester, Southeastern States Coordinator On June 29, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1414 into law. The legislation, sponsored by Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) member Senator Debbie Mayfield, will expand the statute prohibiting the harassment of hunters, anglers and trappers by extending protections to sportsmen and women on public lands and waters….

Contact: Clay Chester, Southeastern States Coordinator On June 15, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted a letter of support for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) proposed changes to flounder regulations. According to harvest data in Florida, the flounder population started to experience fluctuations in 2000 with a general decline beginning in 2012….

Contact: Clay Chester, Southeastern States Coordinator Sportsmen and women throughout the South are regaining access to public resources on state and federal lands that were closed due to COVID-19. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN/NC) completed its second phase of reopening on May 23, granting access to the trails not opened through the first…

Contact: Clay Chester, Southeastern States Coordinator Due to COVID-19, the Governor’s signing deadline has been extended to April 18. As of April 6, no anti-sportsmen’s bills have been signed into law, while a number of pro-sportsmen’s bills are eligible for the Governor’s signature.  The Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) led by Co-Chairs Senator Keith Perry and Representatives Bobby Payne…

Contact: John Culclasure, Southeastern States Assistant Director On March 5, legislation that would increase harassment protections for hunters, anglers and trappers passed the Senate (40-0). Sponsored by Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus member Senator Debbie Mayfield, Senate Bill 1414 would expand the statute prohibiting the harassment of hunters, anglers and trappers by extending protections to sportsmen…

Contact: John Culclasure, Southeastern States Assistant Director On February 18, the Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus held its annual dinner with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) at the Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee. More than 50 people, including roughly two one dozen state legislators and legislative staff, FWCC Commissioners, FWCC and Florida…

Contact: John Culclasure, Southeastern States Assistant Director On November 25, Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Representative Tommy Gregory pre-filed legislation that would increase harassment protections for sportsmen and women and create a sales tax holiday for hunting and fishing supplies. Specifically, House Bill 777 would augment the statute prohibiting harassment of hunters, anglers and trappers…

By Bee Frederick, Southeastern States Director On February 19, the Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted an educational and informational event at a local shooting range outside of Tallahassee for legislators and staff. The evening began with a presentation from longtime Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF)  friend Lane Stephens on the background and history of the Caucus,…

By Bee Frederick, Southeastern States Director The Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus recently announced new leadership in preparation for the upcoming legislative session in Tallahassee. The 2019 Legislative Session commences March 5 and is scheduled to end May 3. Leaders for the bipartisan and bicameral Caucus include: Senator Keith Perry, Representative Jayer Williamson, and Representative Bobby…

The Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus met for its annual Legislative Session Dinner on February 6. Hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) and former FWCC member Chuck Roberts, the event was well-attended by Caucus members, along with members of the FWCC commission. The event provided an opportunity for FWCC Commissioners and staff,…

In a recent letter to Congressional leaders, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) joined 18 other national recreational fishing and boating groups to urge support of increased federal funding for Florida Everglades restoration. The letter urges Congress, during FY 2018 budget deliberations, to support “increased funding levels to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and…