The dog days of summer are behind us. With Autumn winds come thoughts of the approaching 90-day legislative Session. The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND stand guard in the Halls of Annapolis to protect the legacy, heritage and traditions of hunting in Maryland on every policy front: statutory, budgetary and regulatory. And we walk hand-in-hand in these Halls with the bi-partisan Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus within the General Assembly, admirably led by the Senator Co-Chair, Senator Jack Bailey (R, District 29) and the House Co-Chair, Delegate Ned Carey (D, District 31A).
2022 Session of the Maryland General Assembly
On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, the General Assembly convenes in Annapolis for its annual 90-day Session. In Maryland, all roads lead to Annapolis so anything of statutory and/or budgetary importance happens during Session. This is an intense period. And hunting-related issues are always controversial making the intensity even more pronounced. Why? When you consider that only a handful of the 188 lawmakers (47 Senators and 141 Delegates) hunt and the urban mindset – not favorably inclined to support hunting issues – dominates all voting, the answer becomes obvious.
The 2022 Session will be the last Session of a 4-year term. What makes this worthy of mention is the fact that election year Sessions are those in which lawmakers historically shy away from controversial issues in fear of alienating would-be supporters. Remember, all lawmakers want to be re-elected. Prudence dictates strategic thinking separate and distinct from the other 3 Sessions.
ISSUES OF INTEREST
Only when a bill – a proposed amendment to existing law or a new law altogether – is introduced during the 90-day Session, can one know who is behind an initiative and its intended purpose. Until such time one can only speculate about such things. Rumors abound throughout the “Interim” – that 9-month period between the 3-month “Session” – but look to the Session for facts.
Here are some of the hunting-related issues that may surface during the 2022 Session of the Maryland General Assembly.
Nighttime Shooting of Deer
There is speculation the farming community will advance a nighttime shooting of deer bill by those holders of Deer Management Permits, aka “DMP’s”. Keep in mind that DNR-approved DMP’s – granted to landowners who purportedly document measurable economic losses attributable to deer – allow holders to harvest deer beyond hunting season, including Sundays, with multiple weapons of choice. DNR further allows certain holders of DMP’s to harvest deer at night during the months of February and March. As hunters, no one need convey what it means to harvest deer during these two months.
If such legislation is introduced in 2022, the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND will stand in firm opposition. Our arguments are self-evident and will be conveyed to decision-makers by every means imaginable.
Sunday Hunting
Maryland reversed a statutory prohibition against Sunday hunting dating back to 1723 in 2003, albeit for deer only on private lands for two days only. Of the original 12 counties that agreed in 2003, only 3 counties today have not yet approved any Sunday hunting: Baltimore, Howard and Prince George’s.
During the 2021 Session, several Sunday hunting expansion bills – deer and turkey – were passed by the House of Delegates only to fail in the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee (SEHA), including House Bill 615 which would have lifted the prohibition of Sunday hunting in Prince George’s County and reduced the archery safety zone to 50 yards. There were many underlying reasons for their collective defeat in SEHEA. The Hunters of Maryland are keenly aware of these reasons and are working to mitigate them in order to secure enactment in 2022.
Funding for DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service
The American System of Conservation Funding means that hunters/anglers underwrite 100% of the cost for wildlife/fisheries management b/c we are the single most vested user groups. However, this 75-year plus model is no longer working. Demands upon our wildlife/fisheries departments attendant to an expanding population, greater public land acquisition and an aversion to increasing licensing fees, means these public entities are struggling to meet their statutory mandate.
Such acknowledgement compelled the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND In 2020 to advocate for a $100,000 general fund appropriation to DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service. NOTE: General funds are separate from special funds whereas the former is derived from such revenue sources as income and sales taxes whereas the latter is derived from licensing fees. The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND argued in 2020 that wildlife is owned by the citizenry – so says the Public Trust Doctrine – and everyone (not just user groups, aka hunters) should share equally in the costs of their sustainable management. And that $100,000 of taxpayer moneys should be budgeted to supplement – not supplant – hunting license fee revenues which have not increased in a very long time.
WE PREVAILED. The $100,000 was included in a fiscal year 2021 Supplemental Budget – this is fiscal nomenclature for an amendment to the originally proposed Budget Bill the Governor introduces each January as required by the Constitution – that comes out in late March before adjournment in April, aka 90-day Session. And, we all celebrated this “first-ever” historical fiscal achievement.
This $100,000 sadly fell victim to COVID in July 2020.
DNR forfeited the $100,000 to the Wildlife & Heritage Service in July 2020 when the State’s Comptroller informed decision-makers that State revenues would be insufficient to meet anticipated expenditures for budget balancing purposes because of the pandemic – a Constitutional requirement in Maryland – absent immediate reduced spending. Consequently, the Governor ordered all State agencies to submit proposals to reduce their respective spending. And, DNR gave up this $100,000 for Wildlife & Heritage. THE IRONY: the federal government allocated so much money to Maryland that these reductions were more than offset; alas, no finger pointing here b/c the State acted in good faith before knowing the federal government would come to Maryland’s fiscal rescue.
The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND are working to convince the Governor to include $100,000 in general funds to DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service for fiscal year 2023 (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023). Hope springs eternal the 2022 General Assembly will consider and approve a truly “first-ever” $100,000 general fund appropriation to DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service.
ALWAYS ON PATROL
The HUNTERS OF MARYLAND work year ‘round with State lawmakers, et al, to protect the legacy, heritage and tradition of hunting. Pictured herein is Steve Keithley, Founder of the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND plus Bill Miles, Advocate for the HUNTERS OF MARYLAND, with the Senate Majority Leader (Senator Nancy King) with whom we recently conferred about hunting-related issues for consideration by the 2022 Session.
