Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Apprentice Hunting Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee pauses action on HB 96 after concern over expanded apprentice hunting privileges
Summary
A motion to give House Bill 96 a do-pass recommendation was withdrawn after committee members raised concerns the bill’s apprenticeship changes could allow young apprentices to hunt large-game species such as black bear and mountain lion. Sponsors agreed to draft an amendment to reinstate exclusions before further executive action.
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee began executive action on House Bill 96, but committee leadership withdrew a motion to recommend the bill after members raised objections to language that would expand apprentice hunting/trapping privileges.
Vice Chair read and moved HB 96 for a do-pass recommendation, which opened a broad discussion. Representative RunningWolf and others told the committee they had received constituent messages and were concerned that language in the drafted bill would allow 10-year-old apprentices to hunt species the apprenticeship program had previously excluded. Representative Konauer (spelling in transcript appears as Konauer/Koenigher in places) said the apprentice program’s original limits—preventing apprentices from hunting black bear, mountain lion and similar limited-license species—were an important safeguard.
Committee members suggested a friendly amendment to restore the prior exclusions for species that require quotas or limited licensing. The sponsor indicated willingness to work with members to leave the exclusion language in place. After members discussed whether to postpone and draft a written amendment rather than adopt a conceptual change during executive action, the mover withdrew the do-pass motion to allow time to write and circulate the amendment. The committee agreed to take executive action on HB 96 at a later date once the sponsor and staff prepare the revision.
Committee members cited safety, age appropriateness and the original intent of the apprenticeship program—introduction to hunting limited to more widely available, unlimited tags (for example waterfowl and wild turkey)—as reasons to preserve species exclusions. No final vote was taken on HB 96 on the session day covered by the transcript.
