On Wednesday, February 18, the Senate Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee unanimously passed an amended version of HB 1003, successfully removing the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) from the bill’s elimination provisions.
The bill will now be sent to the full Senate for consideration. Keep an eye on your inbox for when the next action will be needed. This amended version is a win for sportsmen, but we must remain vigilant until the Governor signs the bill into law in its current form.
The Power of the Sportsmen’s Voice
This critical victory directly demonstrates the power of your voice; Senator Randy Maxwell, the bill’s Senate sponsor, specifically noted that the NRC was preserved due to the strong opposition to eliminating the Commission from Indiana’s sportsmen’s community. Your calls and emails provided the essential pressure needed to save this vital forum for public input and science-based decision-making.
Compromise and Changes to Commission Makeup
Senator Maxwell also mentioned a compromise with the executive office and the House that will alter the commission’s makeup. This compromise entails eliminating the section stating that at least two of the citizen members must have knowledge, experience, or education in the environment or in natural resources conservation, and that not more than three citizen members may be of the same political party.
Protecting Our Outdoor Legacy
Don’t forget to share this update with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen. We must speak as one. We aren’t just caretakers of our waters, woods, and wildlife anymore; we are the shield protecting a way of life under attack. These natural resources belong to the people, and we must ensure they remain out of politicians’ hands.
The future of hunting, fishing, and trapping is being decided right now. There has never been a more critical moment to stand up and be heard. Urge your family and friends to stand with you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance. The legacy we leave for the next generation depends entirely on the actions we take today.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
