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Week 6 - added a crazy bill!! HF322

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
They are hitting residents of this state, hunters & trying to destroy Iowa’s resource & access as hard as they possibly can. Insane. They are doing what KS tried a decade ago (disaster) …. LO’s (like me) get tags to auction to the highest bidders. U guys have any clue how many more hunters this would mean?!?! Oh my gosh. Here’s week 6’s updates.

Here’s what we have to do…. Take all the bad bills- put in ONE email & explain why against all of them. Contacts below. IBA has a super quick link to email in if want me to post. I have a template letter in another thread.
This is possibly the craziest legislation session I’ve ever seen. We have to & will fight them off.

HF322 – Transferable deer tags to landowners (O)
Two free tags to landowner, then they may sell to highest bidder
Sponsored by Rep. Hora - District 92 - Washington Co. [email protected]

SF277 – NR family member deer tags (O)
Nonresident Family Members Deer Tags (A) - This bill creates a special deer hunting license available to certain nonresident family members. The bill allows a nonresident who is a family member of a resident to purchase a nonresident family member deer hunting license for a fee that is one-half the fee of a nonresident deer hunting license established by the Natural Resource Commission by rule. A nonresident may only use a nonresident family member hunting license while hunting with a resident who is a family member of the nonresident Sponsored by Sen. Klimesh - District 32 - Winneshiek Co. [email protected]
Subcommittee: Driscoll, Trone Garriott, and Zumbach

SF255 – Nonresident deer tags to outfitters – (O)
Sponsored by Sen. Green (Boone)
The bill requires the Natural Resources Committee to reserve 500 of the nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses for nonresidents who have made a reservation with an outfitter, as defined in the bill, that is currently registered as a business entity with the secretary of state and has maintained registration since prior to July 1, 2022. Referred to Natural Resources

SF138 - Airbows (O) - This bill provides that an airbow is a legal method of take during any deer hunting
season in which any firearm is a legal method of take.
Approved by subcommittee with an amendment

SF208 – (formerly SF175) Second Chance Bow Tags (O) - This bill allows a person who was unsuccessful in taking a deer during a bow season while using a bow season deer hunting license, to use the license and
unfilled tag during the late muzzleloader season or the January antlerless deer hunting season that follows the
bow season for which the license and tag were valid. A person hunting pursuant to the bill is authorized to hunt
using a crossbow during the January antlerless deer hunting season.
On Senate debate calendar

SF42 - Increases nonresident tag quota from 6,000 to 7,500 (O)
Sponsored by Sen. Klimesh (District 32)
The bill increases the number of nonresidents any sex deer tags from the current 6,000 to 7,500. The bill requires NRC to use a random draw process that is weighted to favor applicants with the most preference points to assign nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses until all available nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses have been issued. The bill also provides that when a nonresident uses the antlerless deer only deer hunting license and tag that the nonresident is required to purchase with an antlered or any sex deer hunting license to take an antlerless deer in a zone that is above the population goal determined by NRC, then NRC will assign one preference point to the nonresident.
Subcommittee: Driscoll, Bennett and Rozenboom


Senate Natural Resource Committee Members
• Annette Sweeney (R, District 27), Chair
• Tom Shipley (R, District 9), Vice Chair
• Izaah Knox (D, District 17), Ranking Member
• Liz Bennett (D, District 39)
• Claire Celsi (D, District 16)
• Chris Cournoyer (R, District 35)
• Rocky De Witt (R, District 1)
• Dawn Driscoll (R, District 46)
• Lynn Evans (R, District 3)
• Jesse Green (R, District 24)
• Ken Rozenboom (R, District 19)
• Sarah Trone Garriott (D, District 14)
• Dan Zumbach (R, District 34)

House Natural Resource Committee Members
• Thomas Jeneary (R, District 3), Chair
• Ken Carlson (R, District 13), Vice Chair
• Adam Zabner (D, District 90), Ranking Member
• Ako Abdul-Samad (D, District 34)
• Timi M. Brown-Powers (D, District 61)
• Dean C. Fisher (R, District 53)
• Dan Gehlbach (R, District 46)
• Thomas D. Gerhold (R, District 84)
• Helena Hayes (R, District 88)
• Heather Hora (R, District 92)
• David Jacoby (D, District 86)
• Kenan Judge (D, District 27)
• Shannon Latham (R, District 55)
• Elinor A. Levin (D, District 89)
• Norlin Mommsen (R, District 70)
• J.D. Scholten (D, District 1)
• Brad Sherman (R, District 91)
• Art Staed (D, District 80)
• Sharon Sue Steckman (D, District 59)
• Luana Stoltenberg (R, District 81)
• Mark I. Thompson (R, District 56)
 
Email addresses for Senate Natural Resources Committee: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

My email to this group tonight. I kept it very short on each one, but the overall message is to just quit messing with the regulations.


Senate Natural Resource Committee,

Please leave our hunting regulations alone. The Iowa DNR is doing a great job. Iowa is a very attractive place for deer hunting because of our current regulations. It seems the main drivers of most of the bills in the last few years have been wealthy non-resident hunters or sporting goods manufacturers. Please represent Iowans, not these outside interests. I ask you to vote NO on all of these bills.


SF277
Please stop this bill from moving forward. There is no need for special reduced licenses for “relatives” of Iowans. There are already processes in place for non-residents to be able to hunt in Iowa. There is no need to add all the bureaucratic oversight process to determine who is an eligible relative.


SF255
Please stop this bill. Iowa does not need to promote the deer hunting outfitter business by allowing more non-residents to hunt via an outfitter. This will just put more pressure on sale and leasing of land in Iowa and further disenfranchise resident hunters.


SF138
Airbows? We do not need yet another weapon to be introduced. Anyone with foresight can see this is just a first step in getting these added to the regular archery season. There are plenty of options now. Please don’t add another.

SF208
The DNR sets seasons, methods of take, and quantity of tags based on expected success rates. There is no need to extend a tag to another season – especially one that allows the use of crossguns (these weapons are not a bow) on a bow tag. Ravin (crossgun manufacturer) has already stated this is just a first step in getting crossguns in the regular archery season. There is absolutely no need for this change and is a bad first step. Do not allow Iowa to follow other states who have seen devastating effects on the deer herd age structure by allowing crossguns.

SF42
Please do not increase the number of non-resident tags at the expense of resident Iowans. Every one of those additional 1,500 licenses is likely another Iowan losing access to hunting ground. If you want more money, increase the price of the non-resident tag by 25%. This will give you the same money without impacting resident Iowans.

Thank you for your consideration of a lifelong Iowa resident and hunter.
 
I'm amazed at the number of bills introduced aimed at fixing problems that don't exist. That statement goes beyond just bills dealing with hunting. The amount of money thrown at politicians and their willingness to cave to these Super PACS and donors is unbelievable. I recently just learned that the senator and house representative for my district had less than 1% of their donations come from constituents in our district. Essentially all of their money is from outside influencers and although I live in a rural area I'm sure this is not a unique situation. We are fighting an uphill battle against big money but we have no choice but to try and protect what we have. IMO our state and nation needs to take the time to examine the moral character of the person on the ballot and go beyond the R or D behind their name. Regardless of the R or D behind the name if they cave to special interests and become a Yes/No vote along party lines to preserve their money and seat, they are not listening to their constituents and serving their constituents' needs. I'll be sending in my email and hopefully we can get these shut down.
 
I’d be curious what special interest groups are driving these changes across the US. Automobile insurance companies? Farmers? Greedy politicians looking for more income off hunters? All the above.. ??
 
I’d be curious what special interest groups are driving these changes across the US. Automobile insurance companies? Farmers? Greedy politicians looking for more income off hunters? All the above.. ??
My guess without looking into it would be insurance companies, Farm Bureau, Gun/X-Gun manufacturers and possibly wealthy non-residents who don't mind paying the price to hunt every year but don't like the current regulations. For the latter it is not your average NR but ultra wealthy who think they can do anything they want due to their financial situation. I believe Skip had mentioned earlier about one from FL who wanted all these laws changed.
 
Sent a bunch of emails earlier. Part of me feels that it isn't going to matter, but at least I've shared my view. Might have given them something they hadn't thought through.
 
I'm amazed at the number of bills introduced aimed at fixing problems that don't exist. That statement goes beyond just bills dealing with hunting. The amount of money thrown at politicians and their willingness to cave to these Super PACS and donors is unbelievable. I recently just learned that the senator and house representative for my district had less than 1% of their donations come from constituents in our district. Essentially all of their money is from outside influencers and although I live in a rural area I'm sure this is not a unique situation. We are fighting an uphill battle against big money but we have no choice but to try and protect what we have. IMO our state and nation needs to take the time to examine the moral character of the person on the ballot and go beyond the R or D behind their name. Regardless of the R or D behind the name if they cave to special interests and become a Yes/No vote along party lines to preserve their money and seat, they are not listening to their constituents and serving their constituents' needs. I'll be sending in my email and hopefully we can get these shut down.
Yeah of those bills being sponsored above all have a R behind their name.
 
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