On September 5, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation welcomed North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper as the newest member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC). Governor Cooper joins a group of bipartisan governors from across the country who are dedicated to protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping. Governor Cooper is the 35th member of…
On July 25, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed into law House Bill 559, the Outdoor Heritage Enhanced Act. The bill, which passed the House and Senate by wide margins with strong bipartisan support on June 29, builds on the historic passage of the Outdoor Heritage Act in 2015 by further expanding opportunities for Sunday…
On June 29, the North Carolina Legislature gave final approval to expand opportunities for Sunday hunting with firearms in North Carolina. The Conference Report for House Bill 559, “Outdoor Heritage Enhanced,” was adopted by the Senate with a 31-11 vote and the House with an 80-25 vote. The bill will now head to the desk of Governor…
On June 6, over a dozen national and in-state sportsmen’s groups gathered at the North Carolina General Assembly for the annual Legislative Sportsmen’s Day. The purpose of the day was to highlight the important economic, cultural and conservation benefits of North Carolina’s outdoor traditions. The day started off with a breakfast in the Legislative Cafeteria…
On June 6, North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus members Senators Danny Earl Britt and Andrew Brock along with Senator Norman Sanderson introduced legislation to constitutionally protect the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife in North Carolina. Senate Bill 677, if passed by the legislature, would be presented to voters in the statewide November 2018…
On May 23, NC Sound Economy hosted a legislative day at the North Carolina General Assembly to increase awareness of the importance of the state’s fishing economy and build support for House Bill 867, the Coastal Fisheries and Economic Development Act of 2017. NC Sound Economy is a coalition of businesses, anglers and sportsmen’s organizations…
On April 24, the North Carolina Senate adopted Senate Resolution 370, which opposes the implementation of catch shares for federal fisheries management in the South Atlantic and federal waters off the coast of North Carolina. This bill is sponsored by North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus member Senator Bill Rabon. “This resolution is a proactive…
The 2017 North Dakota legislative session is coming to a close, but not before two important pro-sportsmen’s bills were recently signed into law. House Bill 1204 – Introduced and supported by members of the North Dakota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, including Co-Chairs Representative Todd Porter and Senator Erin Oban, this bill lowers the age requirement to…
On April 25, House Bill 559, titled “Outdoor Heritage Enhanced,” passed the House of Representatives on a 102-17 vote. Sponsored by North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) Co-Chair Representative John Bell and Caucus member Representative Chris Millis, HB 559 would expand Sunday hunting to public lands and public waters, subject to rules established by the…
On March 24, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) formally endorsed NC Sound Economy, a coalition of businesses, recreational anglers, and sportsmen’s organizations committed to improving North Carolina’s coastal fisheries. Due to policy decisions that have failed to support viable coastal finfish and shellfish stocks, North Carolina’s coastal fish stocks have declined precipitously and, as a…
Legislation to expand Sunday hunting opportunities in North Carolina was filed on April 4. Two bills, introduced in the House and Senate aim to broaden the Sunday hunting advancements made in the 2015 Outdoor Heritage Act, which repealed the state’s 145 year-old ban against hunting on Sunday with firearms on private property. Senate Bill 624…
A resolution before the Watauga County Board of Commissioners to ban Sunday hunting with firearms failed on February 21. During a public hearing on the proposed resolution, many county residents spoke against the ban. Additionally, a letter from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and…