July, 2008
PRESIDENT’S CORNER – By Harold L. Palmer
Great news! After more than eight years of NYSCC members and me working to get the age reduced to allow junior hunters to hunt big game, the New York State Assembly and Senate have finally passed legislation to do just that. This could not have happened without much help from a lot of people. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible. First we had support from the majority of the sportsmen, clubs, county federations and from many organizations that make up the NYSCC; we had support from the Farm Bureau, 4H Shooting Sports, FWMA, CFAB and DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, who not only worked to put this legislation together as a Department bill, but also talked to many of his acquaintances in the Assembly and Senate. We had the support of the Commissioner of Ag and Markets, Pat Hooker, who also talked to some of his acquaintances in Albany. Then we had the support of two special people who not only sponsored this legislation, but also convinced many of their colleagues to vote for it: I would like to thank Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and Senator Dale Volker for their tireless efforts. We also had many co-sponsors or multi-sponsors in the Assembly who spread the word. I would like to thank NYSCC Legislative Team member Bob Brown for giving me a hand in Albany. We needed to educate many Assembly and Senate members as to exactly what this legislation would do and would not do. Many had the idea that this bill would allow youth the opportunity to get guns and use them for crimes on the streets. I was also surprised at how many did not read the bill; they saw the words “hunting” and “14 and 15 year olds” and decided to oppose it, until we discussed what was in the bill. I for one am glad this has passed, after spending 22 days in Albany this year and meeting with most of the Assembly and some of the Senate about this legislation. Most of the legislators and their staff were very nice to work with, and I received an education of Albany politics. In the Assembly, nothing gets voted on unless the Speaker or his staff says it’s ok. In the Senate, the final say of what gets voted on comes from the Majority Leader or his staff. The majority of the Senators and Assembly people can be in favor of a bill, but it will never get passed without the support of the Speaker and the Majority Leader. In both houses there were holdups in allowing the bills to go to a committee or committees for a vote. In the Assembly, we met with the Speaker’s staff and worked out last-minute problems before bill A11033 was allowed to go to the Codes Committee, then Ways and Means, then the Rules Committee, and finally to the floor for a vote. Assembly bill A11033 passed with a final vote count of 123 in favor and 15 opposed; the vote from the floor was 92 to 14. Later, absentee votes were added, for the final count of 123/15. As we came to June 23rd, the final day of the Senate’s scheduled session, the Senate companion bill S8228 was being held from the Rules Committee by the Majority Leader’s staff person, who controls the Committee’s agenda. After spending much of that day trying to contact the person responsible, or Senator Bruno, without success, I was glad to hear that the Senate’s session was extended another day. Finally, on Tuesday, I caught up with the staff person responsible for not allowing S8228 on the agenda. He said that S784 (the canned hunt bill) should also go up for a vote, if S8228 was allowed to go through. After a discussion with him about the differences of the two bills and pointing out that S8228 was extending education, while S784 was full of false statements and a step to abolish hunting, and that the Council would not change its position of opposition to S784, he agreed to allow S8228 on the agenda for Rules. A short time later, the third and final Rules Committee for the day was held, and included S8228, and not S784. At 7:00 PM the Senate passed bill S8228 with a vote of 61 to 1, with the only one to oppose it being Senator Duane.
Bills A11033 / S8228, when signed into law by the Governor, will take effect immediately and be in place for the 2008 hunting season. They will allow a 14 and 15 year old to hunt big game when he or she is accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or youth mentor who is 21 years of age or older and has three years of big game hunting experience, is licensed to hunt big game and is designated in writing by the parent or legal guardian. The parent, guardian or mentor must maintain physical control over the junior hunter. “Physical control” means that the proximity of the minor to the parent, guardian or mentor is such that verbal directions and instructions may be given while maintaining constant visual contact. Then while accompanying a junior big game hunter the parent, guardian or mentor and the junior big game hunter must wear a minimum of a vest or cap visible from 360° and made of blaze orange or 50% camo blaze orange, and neither may hunt from an elevated stand.
This legislation will also allow a person over 21 to take a 12- and 13- year-old youth small game hunting, changing the previous requirement that only a parent or guardian could accompany the junior hunter. This bill also creates a trapper mentoring program for youths under 12, allowing them to accompany and assist a licensed and experienced trapper prior to completing the mandatory training required for them to purchase their own trapping license. The changes to these laws will allow our youth to be educated by experienced adults and hopefully continue the heritage of hunting and trapping for their lifetime.
Following is information on the sponsors for Assembly Bill A11033, sponsored by Francine DelMonte:
Co-Sponsors: Sweeney, Gunther, Lupardo, Fields, Sayward, Titone, Destito, Stirpe, Gabryszak, Gianaris, Gordon T, Reilly, Magee, Magnarelli, Schimminger, Schroeder, Lavine, Christensen, McEneny
Multi-Sponsors: Alessi, Amedore, Bacalles, Barclay, Brennan, Burling, Cahill, Calhoun, Cole, Cook, Crouch, Duprey, Englebright, Errigo, Finch, Giglio, Hawley, Kirwan, Kolb, Koon, Lancman, Lifton, Molinaro, Morelle, Oaks, Ortiz, Quinn, Rivera P, Scozzafava, Seminerio, Spano, Townsend, Walker, Zebrowski.
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