Missouri SB 56 and HB 710 are dead

[Terrierman]

The MDC makes a yearly payment to each county in lieu of taxes dependent upon the amount of acreage per.

I should have remembered that.

[Chief Grey Bear]

They publish a list of the amounts payed to each county yearly.

One would have thought the State Rep would have been aware of that.

It makes one pause and wonder just how much our leaders really know about the agency they attack.

[Smallieguy87]

it's sad that you would attempt to dismantle the states conservation department over personal grudges and a failed bill that you wanted to push but i do believe that. I wonder if they realized this would have an impact on more then just hunters and fishermen. Anyone who in anyway enjoys Missouri's conservation lands stood to lose a lot here. Not to mention the jobs of many state employees and the impact that has on them and their family.

[ness]

Yeah, Mudslinger is walking this back a little now. 'What? I didn't realize this would harm the conservation efforts.' He's a dipschit. Kudos to the Post Dispatch and all the others for shining the light on this.

[fishinwrench]

Yes sir, so see ! None of this baloney was ever a threat.

So now I wanna see some bills to INCREASE MDC funding. That'll put a stop to future attempts if every time they try to cut them back they end up getting MORE !

[Smallieguy87]

Yes sir, so see ! None of this baloney was ever a threat.

So now I wanna see some bills to INCREASE MDC funding. That'll put a stop to future attempts if every time they try to cut them back they end up getting MORE !

There's an idea! Start sending email, letters, and calls to your reps

[rFisherk]

Amazing what these guys will say when backed into a corner, even if it makes them look stupid. I don't think it is coincidence that Munzlinger backed off this bill at the crest of a media and letter/email writing campaign by concerned outdoorsmen, and I want to commend everyone here who participated. The bill, however, is not dead; it's changed. What do you think of the changes?

The Department of Conservation said the original bill filed by Senator Brian Munzlinger (R-Williamstown) would have cut its budget by nearly $45 million by eliminating fees for hunting, fishing and trapping permits for Missouri residents. Munzlinger revised the bill after doing some research and speaking with the department and fellow lawmakers.

“I visited with (the Department) and found out that there actually has to be a sale of the permits,” said Munzlinger.

The federal Pittman-Robertson Act created an excise tax that provides funds to each state to manage wildlife and their habitats. The Dingell-Johnson Act provides financial assistance for state fish restoration and management projects. Department of Conservation Deputy Director Tim Ripperger says the actual selling of the permit brings federal aid dollars back to Missouri.

“That’s over $20-million to this state that other states would be receiving if we weren’t selling those permits,” said Ripperger.

Munzlinger’s bill no longer eliminates permit fees for Missouri residents, but it does provide a discount for non-resident landowners. Those with at least 80 acres of Missouri property would only have to pay 50 percent of the non-resident fee for hunting, fishing, and trapping permits. Non-resident permit fees for deer hunting are currently $225 and $130 for turkey hunting.

“I thought this was a lot better bill at this time to move forward,” said Munzlinger. “It actually helps provide an incentive for those non-resident landowners to come and enjoy their land here in Missouri.”

[Flysmallie]

“It actually helps provide an incentive for those non-resident landowners to come and enjoy their land here in Missouri.”

All the most ignorant comments come from politicians.

[Greasy B]

The response I got from my representative was that she had received many comment similar to mine. It looks like the letter campain caused at least some of the Jeff city crowd to listen.

[ness]

Not so sure these are dead -- the bill tracker doesn't show anything new. Here's what I just sent Senator Muzzie:

"I'm a Kansas resident, but work in Missouri. I also hunt pheasant and quail, and fish for bass and trout in Missouri. I've purchased non-resident permits for a dozen years or more.

I think SB56 is misguided, and has the potential to ruin conservation efforts in Missouri. The conservation work in MO far above what we're able to do in KS. It's the envy of most other states. And the way it got there is through leadership by a non-political commission and the ⅛ cent sales tax.

Your bill, and some of the others I've seen, appear as if the legislature is attempting to wrestle control and money away from conservation, but no real benefit is outlined or even expected.

It's easy to take ad-hominem shots at a government agency for excessive spending. MDC surely has its faults, but the good it is doing seems to far outweigh any negative I've ever read.

Like the old saying goes: 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' I hope you'll pull this bill from consideration, and help defeat others that are aimed at gutting MDC.

Sincerely,

John Gotti, III"