Sportsmen’s Coalition Stops Bill –Wildlife Big Winner
Wildlife Legislative Fund of America

On Jan. 3, 2000, California Assembly Bill 1010 was introduced which would ban firearms give-a-ways as fundraisers. With a hearing and vote scheduled just one week later on Monday, January 10, 2000, the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America (WLFA) swung into action. The WLFA is a national advocacy group representing the nation’s principal coalition of sportsmen and sportswomen in the struggle to defend hunters, anglers and trappers.

The WLFA assembled some of the most well respected groups in California and nationally including the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) and Foundation For North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS). These groups were all represented and prepared to testify at Monday’s hearing.

However, after several days of constant constituent lobbying and when the committee saw the large contingent of sportsmen leaders, the sponsor of AB 1010, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-LA), pulled the bill.

Sportsmen have again overcame tremendous adversity to stop a bad bill in its tracks,” said Bud Pidgeon, WLFA president. “In light of the extraordinarily short time we had to work, this was a huge victory for wildlife funding in California.”

The bill would have severely impacted the ability of conservation organizations to raise funds at banquets. Millions of dollars are raised from these banquets in California each year. The majority is funneled into wildlife habitat restoration programs.

I’m thoroughly convinced that the coalition’s presence here was extremely important,” said Rob Keck, chief executive officer of NWTF. “Our presence provided the California legislature a true showing of the strength of organized sportsmen in this state and across the country.”

Another coalition member echoed those sentiments.

Had the coalition not have attended the hearing, this bill could have spelled disaster for the California conservation movement,” said Pat Gilligan, RMEF chairman. “This committee witnessed first-hand that sportsmen will move quickly and decisively to defend issues they believe are vital to wildlife conservation.

Other coalition members involved in stopping this bill include the Masters of Foxhounds Assoc., Mule Deer Foundation, North American Hunting Club and many other statewide and local conservation groups.

(posted Feb 21, 2000)
 

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