Events:

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: April 10, 2008

Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation

Contact: Bill Miles 410/414-2515

Holding the Line for Maryland Sportsmen

ANNAPOLIS, MD: The 2008 Session of the Maryland General Assembly ended on April 7, 2008 with Maryland lawmakers having “held the line” for sportsmen, most notable of which was the defeat of the proposed Minimum Age Hunting Bill following an intense offensive launched by the Humane Society of the United States, head-quartered in the State of Maryland.

“Year after year, we [Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus] meet the anti-sportsmen’s movement head-on in the court of public opinion, meaning the Halls of Annapolis where proposed laws are debated every year for 90-consecutive days. Thus far, not one anti-sportsmen initiative has been enacted over the objection of the Caucus while every one of our pro-sportsmen initiatives has been enacted. We’re most proud of this seldom recognized achievement, but we will forever remain vigilant because our well-financed opponents, with their attendant ever-growing wave of advocates, will continue their perpetual offense to compromise our traditional rights as law abiding sportsmen,” stated Senator John C. Astle, Co-Chair of the Caucus. “Not on our watch” admonished Senator Astle, who is also the incumbent President of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC).

On February 7, 2008, NASC issued a PRESS RELEASE entitled, Anti-Hunting Bills, Meet the Sportsmen’s Secret Weapon: The Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. In short, NASC informed the Nation’s sportsmen that Maryland lawmakers faced several anti-sportsmen’s issues during the 2008 Session of the Maryland General Assembly but was “confident” the Caucus would prevail on all legislative fronts. We indeed proved worthy of the NASC confidence.

Noteworthy Caucus-related achievements during the 2008 Session: (1) defeat of the black bear hunting moratorium; (2) defeat of the bullet serialization proposal – a de facto ban on ammunition; (3) prevention of the seemingly perennial anti-trapping bill’s introduction; (4) defeat of a proposal to ban the transport of hunting dogs in the back of pick-up trucks unless caged; (5) retention of $750,000 in budgeted general funds to help “match” the $2.3 million in special funds derived from last year’s statutory increase in recreational fishing license fees – the Caucus had a “gentlemen’s agreement” with the Governor to partially match the license fee monies with general taxpayer dollars and, despite the General Assembly’s staff agency’s recommendation to delete those funds in the fiscal year 2009 State Budget, the recommendation was unanimously rejected and the “agreement” honored; (6) authorized Sunday hunting of deer in 3 previously non-interested jurisdictions (Harford, Montgomery and Washington counties); and (7) enactment of the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund – an allocation of $50 million annually to help improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay, inclusive of enhancing marine and shoreline habitat, where MLSF joined ranks with the environmental community on a mutually-deemed noble crusade.

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus – with its “eyes and ears” non-profit affiliate, the Maryland Sportsmen’s Foundation (MLSF) – has proven thus far to be an invincible legislative barrier in protecting sportsmen’s rights within the Halls of Annapolis. “We often feel like the 300 at the gate of Thermopylae…we’ll fight to the last man” stated Bill Miles, Vice-Chair of MLSF.

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For more information about the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus/ Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation, or ways to help us underwrite our 24/7 efforts, contact Bill Miles @ billmiles@chesapeake.net or visit our website www.mdsportsmen.com

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