YES WE SUPPORT HB1719 TO PROTECT PA GAME COMMISSION GAME FUND

 

Hunters United For Sunday Hunting    

huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

717-350-6741

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AND DISTRIBUTION

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting supports the recent introduction of Pennsylvania House Bill 1719, Session 2023 which would clarify and stipulate the use of the PA Game Commission Game Fund and establish by law that it can only be used to support the mission of the PA Game Commission. HB1719 will keep the PA Game Fund intact and prevent any following attempts by the PA legislature to raid the PGC funds.

HB1719 would correct and resolve any ensuing actions such as those currently in PA HB1300  that immediately transfer $150 million from conservation and places a tax estimated at $10 million per year on the real property that the PGC holds.  Both of these violate the rules of the PA Game Fund as it relates to the Pittman and Robertson Act which allocates yearly federal dollars to every state.  The PGC would lose an estimated $40 million per year because of these actions.  Once Pittman and Robertson's funding is lost there is no solution or option for when it could return, if at all.

The PGC is funded primarily by hunting and furtaker license sales; State Game Lands timber, mineral, and oil/gas revenues; and a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition; the PGC is almost entirely supported by hunters and trappers, or assets that have been procured with license dollars. The PGC does not receive state General Fund appropriations.

The PA Game Fund is designed to be used in support of the PGC mission to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping

for current and future generations.  Citizens of the Commonwealth have the

expectation and understanding that the PGC will do as sanctioned and that these

funds are to support things such as habitat improvement, wildlife enhancement, and

all other conservation efforts for the 480 species of wildlife in the state

from the biggest bear or elk to the smallest pollinators.

HB1719 will enhance, protect, and provide a path for the successful use of the PA Game Fund “based on the needs and best interest of the sportsmen and sportswomen of this Commonwealth.”

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For more information about this topic, please contact

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting 

Executive Director Kevin Askew at 717-350-6741 or by email at

huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com 

View our Blog - https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/

HB1719 - This legislation is supported and endorsed by: 

Pennsylvania Cooperation Conservation Organizations

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

Hunter Nation

  

New Sunday Hunting Bill Announced - Senate Bill 67

 

   CONTACT: Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

    TELEPHONE: 717-350-6741

    EMAIL: huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com

    WEBSITE: facebook.com/HuntersUnitedForSundayHunting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/DISTRIBUTION

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting proudly announces the mission to bring full regulatory authority to the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide seasons and bag limits all days of the week including Sunday is alive and well.  Senate Bill 67 has been drafted, prepared, and placed in the legislative process to be introduced in the upcoming 2023-2024 session.   

Senate Bill 67 corrects and removes the prohibition of hunting on Sundays.  It will bring the law in line with that of agriculture.  Act 26 2007 along with various other laws such as Title 34 and Title 58 authorizes agriculturalists to harvest animals on all days of the week including Sunday.   Hunter-conservationists should not be discriminated against and be afforded the same opportunity by law to harvest animals on Sunday. The legislative standard is to be Sunday-inclusive.  Hunting on Sunday deserves to have the same principle and standard applied.

Senator Dan Laughlin, Pa. 49th District, Senate Majority Policy Committee has introduced Senate Bill 67.  This bill mirrors the language of the previous bill that reads:    

• This legislation would completely remove the prohibition on Sundays available for hunting and trapping.  Currently, the law dictates which Sundays are open to hunting, and in certain cases, which species. This legislation would change that and would leave all wildlife management decisions to the Game Commission.  By completely removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting, it will give the needed latitude to the Game Commission to increase hunting and trapping opportunities. 

When asked why he was re-introducing the Sunday hunting bill Senator Laughlin replied, “We have six days that we can hunt, there is no reason that it shouldn't and can’t be seven days.”  He also added that “2023 is the year of 53 Sundays, let’s mark that by getting the Sunday hunting prohibition lifted.”

Hunters United for Sunday Hunting along with the conservation cohort looks forward to working with the Pa. Legislature in getting Senate Bill 67 through the legislative process and into law in a timely manner.  We would like nothing more than for everyone to come to the table in good faith; politicians, Pa. Game Commission, conservation organizations, and the Pa. Farm Bureau, to negotiate a reasonable end to this archaic blue law that discriminates only against those who hunt. 

Senate Bill 67 will be available electronically once it becomes active in the database of the state.  The anticipated timeframe is by end of January 2023.  It will not show up in any google or other search engines until that time. 

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For more information about this topic, please contact Hunters United for Sunday Hunting 

Executive Director Kevin Askew at 717-350-6741 or email at huntersforsundayhunting@gmail.com 

View our Blog - https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/

LETTER TO PA LEGISLATORS - I DON'T WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER 20 YEARS

 Submitted by Randy Stevens

Had a great couple of days hunting with the kids, Derrick Stevens Lyndsey Marie, and Brett Rote. It's been 20 years since Derrick, Lyndsey, and I spent time together hunting in Penns Woods.

Thanks for rekindling memories of the past and look forward to more time with you hunting in 

Penns Woods.

Thank you to the legislature for the passage of Senate Bill 147 but now it is time to pass Senate Bill 607. It just so happened that one of my kids, my son, only has off two weekends a month and if the opening weekend for whitetail here in Pennsylvania would not have opened when it did and he would've had to work, the opportunity for me to hunt with my son would've never happened.

I do not want to have to wait another 20 years of my life to have the ability to hunt with my kids and extended family members. It is time to get rid of this archaic blue law that prohibits hunting on Sunday with just a few exemptions in Pennsylvania.  It’s time to stop placating to the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and start listening to hunters on this issue.  It is time for the legislature to pass Senate Bill 607 and let the Pennsylvania Game Commission manage all of the 480 wildlife species here in Pennsylvania seven days a week every week of the year.

The opening weekend of whitetail deer rifle season was the best weekend for me in the last 20 years. Without the season opener on a Saturday and the ability to hunt on Sunday, I would not have been able to hunt with two of my kids. One is a schoolteacher and the other one only has off work two weekends a month. The corporate and labor workplace schedules are not commonplace Monday through Friday schedules in today's world.

If the opener for whitetail still would've been on Monday two of my kids and my son-in-law would not have had the opportunity to hunt together.  It just so happened that the opening day and the one Sunday of rifle season fell on my son’s scheduled weekend off.  I also had the ability to hunt with my son-in-law who is an electrician and very rarely does he have the ability to get off work because of his company's scheduled jobs.

Needless to say, I myself am self-employed and am an Allied health provider so it is very difficult for me to get off work. I used to have to take off work to hunt on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which would mean three days of not seeing patients and creating more of a backlog where my patients would have to wait.  But this year because of me being able to go back to work on Tuesday I only had to take off one day of not scheduling patients.

It is difficult for guys like me to understand what the problem is with passing a simple law like SB607.  We live in a society that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week conducting and participating in everything from politics to mail service.  But for some reason having the ability and opportunity to hunt on Sunday is something that you as the legislature believe you must control.  I and many others just don’t get it.  It is time to move SB607 and get it passed into law for guys like me and the many others out there.

Randy Stevens

Find your legislator here

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - PA. FARM BUREAU IMPEDES CITIZENS RIGHTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pa. Farm Bureau Continues To Impede Second Amendment Rights. Regardless if you support removing the barrier to hunting opportunities or not.  The prejudice of Pa. Farm Bureau is obvious and should not be ignored.
Mark O'Neill, Media & Strategic Communications Director, Pa. Farm Bureau -”Farmland abuts state game lands.  When you are shooting the gun, the noise doesn’t stop at the property line, the bullets don’t stop at property lines.” as stated on PCN Call-In February 19, 2019
The Pa. Farm Bureau wants to inhibit the citizens of Pennsylvania in their pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is on record as stating “farmers do not want to hear gunshots ringing across their property” as a reason to not remove Sunday hunting prohibition in Pa. This is a direct insult to all law-abiding gun owners.  It appears to be an attempt to influence laws and policies to restrict the rights of individual gun owners by dictating when and how they may discharge their firearms.  The lobbying efforts of Pa. Farm Bureau is a direct assault on their own members, gun owners, hunters, recreational shooters, and commonwealth citizens Second Amendment rights.  It is unacceptable and appalling behavior from an organization that claims to be non-partisan. Why Pa. Farm Bureau wants to stifle peoples liberty is unknown.  

These questions remain:

1. How does Pa. Farm Bureau intend to stop “hearing gunshots” on Sunday or other days of the week for that matter.
2. People enjoy recreational shooting all days of the week.  Not only Sunday.  Why do they want to stop this legal activity?
3. What are they talking to politicians about behind closed doors?

Maybe the NRA has it correct:  Restrictions on Sunday hunting effectively treat hunters as second-class citizens and tacitly endorse the view of animal extremists that there is something wrong with hunting.
There is truly only one way to not hear gunshots.  The thought of that is unconscionable.   Can we really take the chance of ignoring the statements and the talking points of Pa. Farm Bureau on this? Do we really know what their goal is? 

Contact Your Legislator let them know the Pa. Farm Bureau should not be infringing on Pa. Commonwealth Citizens rights;  Second Amendment or any other. 

Contact Pa. Farm Bureau let them know to stop infringing on the rights of Pa. Commonwealth Citizens. 

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau | PO Box 8736 | Camp Hill, PA 17001-8736 | 717.761.2740

LETTER TO PA. LEGISLATORS - SUPPORT SENATE BILL 147

Letter to: Legislators of Pennsylvania; State Representatives and State Senators. Support Senate Bill 147

This letter is to urge you to support the removal of the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law and allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide what is best for Sunday hunting.  We ask that you recognize and understand that the Pa Game Commission are the subject matter experts for the management and conservation of Pa’s wildlife.  Case in point; Pa. Game Commission recognized as the best wildlife management agency in the country by the Quality Deer Management Association. https://www.qdma.com/pennsylvania-game-commission-named-qdmas-agency-year/

We encourage you to support Senate Bill 147 presented by Senator Dan Laughlin.  The bill strengthens PA Title 34 Game Law and leaves all hunting management decisions to Pa. Game Commission. It addresses the offense of trespass while hunting, making the violation a primary offense with increased penalties.  Enforceable by both game wardens and other law enforcement.

Streamlining of the law puts full management and conservation in the hands of the experts - Pa. Game Commission. The transfer of full regulatory control to Pa. Game Commission is the best solution for game management in Pa.

Studies have shown and sportsmen have stated the lack of time, work, and family obligations are among the most frequent reasons limiting their hunting opportunities. Recent polls from various sources indicate on average 80% overall support for removing the barrier to Sunday hunting. The Pa. Farm Bureau presented a statewide map during Pa. Game Commission public meeting April 23, 2018, that shows 64% approval for a law change. National Shooting Sports Foundation economic impact data on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania shows an overall economic output of $972,589,148. Coupled with 18 Pa. voting districts having 85% approval and support for legal hunting; it leaves us as proponents scratching our heads and wondering what is the problem? Begs the question, why does the Pa. legislature as a whole not see that Pa. sportsmen have spoken and a change will benefit the commonwealth as a whole?

Hunters own, lease, use and control thousands of acres of land across this state.  Please stop ignoring us and change this archaic blue law that restricts our liberties.  Do the right thing - remove the prohibition of Sunday hunting in PA Title 34 Game Law and allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission to decide what is best for Sunday hunting?

Every conservation organization involved in this effort understands the importance of wildlife management and recognizes the agency best to do that is Pa. Game Commission, not you as lawmakers.  Senator Dan Laughlin has presented a common-sense law that addresses the needs of hunters, landowners, and other stakeholders. Hunters United for Sunday Hunting, Sportsmen's Alliance, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Rifle Association has consolidated conservation organizations representing 1.4 million sportsmen and women of Pennsylvania all supporting SB 147 and advocate you to do the same.  Anything less fails the 480 species of wildlife in Pennsylvania.  

Sincerely; Kevin B. Askew, Interim Executive Director Hunters United for Sunday Hunting

P.S. Pa. Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans has stated: “the biggest tool that I can give the farm bureau is Sunday hunting.” If you are listening and taking advice from Pa. Farm Bureau on this issue be advised the PFB represents less-than-half of Pa. farmers. There are 58,000 farming operations in Pennsylvania.  There are only 22,648 total farmers in Pa. Farm Bureau. 75% of the state delegates support a change to the policy regarding the existing Sunday hunting prohibition. Why would they [PFB leadership]say this and do they truly represent rank and file PFB members? Consider the statements of:

Jeffrey Grove, Governmental Relations Director, Pa. Farm Bureau on January 28, 2019, to Pa. Game Commission,  “We are a farming organization.  Not a hunting organization.” Darrin Youker, Government Affairs Rep. Pa. Farm Bureau  The Daily Review, May 28, 2018 “We are unique among any other organization, any other membership organization. I can’t negotiate on Sunday hunting, if I do, I’ve negotiated myself out of a job, I don’t want to do that.” 

"We’ve drawn the line in the sand and just said no. And it’s a hill that we die on and maybe we lose and maybe we win but we have protected the legitimacy of our policy development process so the future of Sunday hunting obviously rests with, not just the future of it but how we feel about Sunday hunting."

For Reference

Senate Bill 147

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2019&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=0147&pn=0195

How Many Farmers In Pa.

https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-many-farmers-does-pennsylvania-farm_26.html

What Do The Polls Say https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/2018/05/sunday-hunting-what-do-polls-say.html

Pa. Game Commission Support https://huntersforsundayhunting.blogspot.com/2018/05/game-commission-board-pledges-support.html

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, Economic Impact of Hunting 2016/2017 Data Pennsylvania Sunday Hunting Impact

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y6KpgyxBaZZGvj0Py53vddlZAiu1Vh8f/view?usp=sharing