Friends of CT Sportsmen – NWCSA NEWS

NWCSA NEWS – Friends of CT Sportsmen

Capitol Update – Jan 27, 2023

Friends: Following is this week’s Capitol Update, including the status report of all the bills on our Sportsmen’s bill report.

View Bill Report

In the paragraphs below, click the orange highlighted text to open the corresponding resource

Animal Advocacy Caucus Meeting

 

The Legislature’s Animal Advocacy Caucus met yesterday, on January 26th. The full meeting is available to watch on the Caucus’ Facebook Page.

The group went through the status of its priority bills this year as follows:

HB 5042 – Greyhound bill will be a General Law Committee bill

HB 5572 – Ban on pet shops selling dogs, cats and rabbits. The bill is in jeopardy.

HB 5123 – Traveling animal acts ban – sounds like it will be raised

SB102 Rodenticides – appears it will be a committee bill

HB 6260 and 5851 is Desmond’s law – the status is unclear

HB 5122 – Leghold traps ban – this bill is in jeopardy and is not on the list so far to be raised.

HB 5160 Black bears – has 4 parts: ban feeding; funding for tight lock muni trash bins, trap protocols and a farm self-defense piece.

The rest of the meeting consisted of discussion within its own echo chamber. Rep Marra asked what is to be done post attack in Morris, since people feel unsafe. The group said it was a good question and then went on to blame the little boy, saying there was nothing in the report about what that boy was doing. It was shocking but predictable. DEEP also took a big share of contempt and blame from the group as well.

Environment Committee

 

The Environment Committee has a Public Hearing scheduled for Monday, January 30th at 10AM.

HERE is the Full Agenda for the Public Hearing

HERE is the Sportsmen’s List of Bill List being heard Monday

HERE are the Instructions for Participating in the Public Hearing

You can catch Environment Committee hearing on the Environment Committee’s YouTube Channel.

HERE is the link to the Environment Committee Homepage

HERE is the link to the Environment Committee Membership, click on “Committee Membership”

The next Environment Committee Meeting to raise bills is scheduled for February 8th at 10AM

News

 

Governor Lamont Announces 2023 Legislative Proposal: Preventing Mass Shootings

A Connecticut lawmaker wants the state to create a bear-hunting lottery system as the population creates ‘a public safety issue.’

Energy and environment legislative priorities include garbage, power and bears (Oh my!)

Colorado bear takes 400 ‘selfies’ on trail camera

Cheshire man’s lawsuit seeks to allow guns in CT state parks for protection

Increased coyote sightings in West Haven bring advice from CT officials

CT Lawmakers, Activists Working to Address Bear-Related Incidents

States with the most registered hunters (CT #44)

Siberian Husky proposed as Connecticut’s state dog

Young angler catches all 22 species in DEEP’s Fishing Challenge

Resources

 

Legislative Committee Deadline Matrix

Guide to Testifying at Hearings and Reaching State Legislators

Sunday Hunting Bill Concept is Still Alive!

 

A bill to lift the Sunday hunting prohibition is still being considered for public hearing by the Environment Committee. This means Senator Harding continues to be a champion work hard to get us a hearing. Keep up the great work reaching out to legislators. Your voices are helping greatly. And don’t forget to thank our legislator champions when you see them around the State!

If you have not reached out yet to legislators about the request for a hearing on a bill to lift the Sunday hunting prohibition, here are some helpful tips to help you be heard:

Email the Co-Chairs, Vice Chairs and Ranking Members of the Environment Committee to urge them to raise and hear a bill to lift the Sunday hunting prohibition. Copy or forward a copy of that email to your State Representative and Senator.

·     Access a sample email to send to the Environment Committee leaders HERE, including email addresses

·     Please feel free to use your own words and if you represent a group, say so

·     Club Presidents are urged to send a letter, referencing the number of your club’s members

·     Share this with any sportsmen you know and ask them to send an email as well

For more background and context on Sunday hunting restrictions, check out this resource by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus.