Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee amends two hunting bills; recommends 'do not pass' on two others

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered four hunting-related bills at a committee meeting and took final committee votes on each: an amendment to Senate Bill 2155 passed, but the committee recommended a do‑not‑pass for the bill as amended; Senate Bill 2199 passed as amended with a due‑pass recommendation; Senate Bill 2168 (restrictions on hunting near buildings) and Senate Bill 2197 (crossbow use) both received do‑not‑pass recommendations.

Why it matters: The bills addressed how certain hunting licenses and privileges are allocated — including landowner “gratis” tags, bonus‑point treatment for 100% service‑disabled veterans, and crossbow allowances — and would affect state licensing procedures and Department of Game and Fish administration if later enacted.

SB 2155 (landowner/gratis pronghorn tags) Senator Gearhart presented and explained an amendment that would formalize a two‑group approach to pronghorn (antelope) licenses: a set of licenses “without charge” reserved for landowners and the remainder for the regular lottery. Gearhart described the amendment’s mechanics with an example: if 25 licenses are set aside for landowners and 30 landowner applicants apply, the amendment would run a lottery among the landowner applicants and then roll any unsuccessful gratis applications into the regular drawing while preserving the gratis conditions if they later draw a license.

Senator Gearhart said the change was intended to ensure that “those licenses are still … free and … bound to…