Legislative Alert!

[roger]

I am posting this alert for Bob. Currently there is a bill in committee to amend the law to allow anyone over 65 to use a crossbow. Further complicating things, LSBA has been informed from sources close to the committee that the intent is to amend this bill prior to a vote to allow anyone to use a crossbow during the Special Archery Only season.

As stated below in Bob's email, LSBA currently does not support amending legislation to allow anyone over 65 to use a crossbow. The reason for this is: The current law provides that anyone with an upper limb disability that prevents them from using archery equipment as defined by TP&W may use a crossbow as long as they possess a note from their doctor. This would cover anyone over 65 unable to use gear within TP&W's definition of archery. Where many get lost on this is the term disability. Most think of some type of physical damage, loss of limb, etc. The fact is, disability is any underlying cause that would prevent an upper limb from safely using archery equipment. Disability may be physical damage or a deformation. It can also be caused by chronic illness, heart problems, age, etc. This is the reason the code states the word disability and not some other term.

Please carefully read Bob's email copied below and take action to make the voices of Texas bowhunter's heard. (note: There has been some difficulty getting this email sent in bulk due to spam filters blocking it which is why it's placed here in it's entirety.) If you have questions or concerns for LSBA, please feel free to post on the forum or, better yet, contact your LSBA reps and officers with your feedback. This is your organization so please be involved. Thank you. - Roger Henson, At Large Rep, 07 VP Elect

From Bob Wright, President LSBA

"LSBA Legislative Alert!

We have been asking you for your email address on our membership applications for several years now. We hope that this will be an effective way to contact LSBA members in those times when quick action needs to be taken to defend the Archery Only season and bowhunting in Texas.

The Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee of the Texas State House of Representatives is considering changing the Archery Only season to allow crossbows to be used. This is HB1334 and began as an attempt to allow anyone 65 and older to use a crossbow during the Archery Only season. The committee now intends to amend the proposed bill to open up the Archery Only season to crossbow hunters. If this bill passes then crossbows will be legal to use during the Archery Only season.

The Executive Council of the LSBA has decided to oppose this bill. We do not feel the current regulation allowing anyone with a permanent upper body disability to use a crossbow needs to be changed. The Archery Only season was intended for hand drawn and hand held archery equipment and there is no need to change that now. We hope that you will support us in this by contacting each member of the Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee or your own state congressman and let them know how you feel. Please help us defeat this proposed bill before it ever leaves committee.

Here's a list of Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee members and their phone numbers.

Harvey Hilderbran R- Chair (512) 463-0536, (830) 257-2333 Kerrville
Edmund Kuempel R- Vice Chair (512) 463-0602, (830) 379-8732 Seguin
Dawnna Dukes D- Budget and Oversight Chair (512) 463-0506 Austin
Mark Homer D- (512) 463-0650, (903) 784-0977 Paris
Donna Howard D- (512) 463-0631 Austin
Mike O'Day R - (512) 463-0707, (281) 997-1103 Pearland
Larry Phillips R - (512) 463-0297, (903) 891-7297 Sherman

The following link will take you to a website that will let you find your own representative.
http://www.house.state.tx.us/resources/faq.htm#who_rep

Thank you for your support.

Bob Wright
President, LSBA"

[roger]

UPDATE: This just got a lot more serious. This bill has been set for public hearing for 3/13. This moves it along. If you oppose this bill, call the committee members and your representative NOW. If you don't get the representative, leave a message for them. Follow up with an email. Also call everyone you know who is involved with bowhunting and have them call as well. Otherwise, this will pass and likely with an amendment opening the archery season to crossbows.

[Stew1tx]

Clarification- this may be amended to include and read that ANYONE, regardless of age, education or skill, legally be able to utilize a crossbow during the archery only season. This is probably the vehicle to allow an inroad toward the demise of the archery only season we have so dearly paid for over the last 30 years. We as archers got the archery stamp attached so that we could fund the archery only season. This was self imposed and the first paid stamp added to the funding of the TPWD. It is easily to get lost and think there is not a stamp with the advent of the super combo license. Please defend archery as a primitive technique and do your part and take a few minutes out of your busy day to call your legislator and leave a message that you oppose House Bill 1334.

I fear this will be an vehicle for the anti-hunters to evaluate mortalities after a year or so and have valid evidence that archers are not as credible as they should be. I know several anti hunter groups probably monitor this site and I would say that archery is a very credible heritage with mortalities at least equal to that of gun hunters. I know the anti hunters say all hunting is animal cruelty but then again so is moving into a habitat area. So, from that angle they should look at themselves and say they are just as guilty as they think we are but unfortunately all of them are activists and completely closed minded to any idea outside of their own.

I will update everyone as to the time and location of the hearing tomorrow.

[tinman]

Thanks Brian and Roger for posting this information.

[Stew1tx]

The Public Hearing will be held at 2:00 PM or upon final adjourn./recess from the floor in the capital building room Location: E2.014 in the Culture, Recreation, & Tourism committee. We need to have all the opposition here to do what we can to prevent this from going to the house for a full vote. Please call Clerk: Todd Kercheval Phone: (512) 463-1974 Room: EXT E2.134 and voice your opions and opposition to this.

[Beleg]

We will be in Austin today voicing our opposition to HB1334 to the Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee of the Texas House of Representatives.

Please support our efforts by emailing committee members simply saying you oppose HB1334. It doesn't take much time and could make the difference.

Go to: http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/430.htm
Click on the photo of each representative and then click on send email.

Thank you for helping us preserve the Special Archery Only season.

Bob Wright
President, LSBA

[Stew1tx]

THIS HAS BEEN RESET FOR HEARING on Tuesday 3/20

Same time, please look at the link above and see HB 1334 on the schedule for meetings.