Last month, Legislative Bill 1413, a bill to transfer funds and create and change the use and distribution of funds, was introduced as part of the Governor’s 2024 mid-biennium budget adjustment recommendations for the 2023 – 2025 biennium.
LB 1413 contains several funding provisions, but one in particular is a shock to the entire outdoor community, Section 30 (page 6) diverts $7 million from the Game Fund to the General Fund. The Game Fund is where hunting and trapping license fees and related dollars go, so this is a direct assault on the hunters and trappers of Nebraska; of this, there can be no doubt or just an egregious mistake.
Sportsmen and women throughout the state must respond. Not only is this raid of sportsmen’s dollars flat wrong, but it also puts into question the state’s annual Pittman-Robertson allocation, which was over $20 million in 2023. Many who understand the law know this is an illegal diversion and will cost the state if allowed to stand.
The raid does not stop with the Game Fund, Section 31 transfers $2.5 million from the Nebraska Habitat Fund to the General Fund. This fund is where sales of a habitat stamp go and supports the purchase and management of habitat areas in Nebraska for the benefit of hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts.
“It’s hard to believe, a pro-hunting state like Nebraska, our outdoor traditions are under attack,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Let’s keep spreading the word about this egregious slap in the face and demand that Sections 30 and 31 be removed from the bill once and for all.”
Although LB 1413 had a hearing on January 30th, no further hearings on the bill have been scheduled at this time. We will alert you as soon as something changes and further action is required. In the meantime, please use our Take Action button below to email the members of the Appropriations Committee urging them to protect the Game Fund, the Habitat Fund, AND the state’s Pittman-Robertson allocation and OPPOSE LB 1413 unless Sections 30 and 31 are removed.
Don’t forget to share this important alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen, asking them also to email the committee members urging them to OPPOSE LB 1413 unless Sections 30 and 31 are removed.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.