>From Bill Cochran's Web page:
KEEPING TABS ON THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The bill we called the "Most Stupid of the General Assembly," S.B. 314, has been killed. Introduced by Sen. W. Roscoe Reynolds, D-Martinsville, it would have increased he bag limit on deer in Henry Country from four to five. Limits and other wildlife regulations should be left to the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
A bill by William Barlow, D-Smithfield, cracks down on the illegal use of deer damage kill permits. If a landowner is guilty of violating any hunting or fishing law, he can not be the shooter when a kill permit is issued. He could obtain the permit, but would have to designate someone else to be the shooter.
George Grayson, D-Williamsburg, is patron of a bill, H.B. 654, that would give authority to any county, city or town to require that helmet be worn by any biker age 14 and younger.
John Tate, D-Marion, is the patron of H.B. 664, which would establish what he calls a sportsman's hunting and fishing license. It would combine licenses, which currently must be purchased individually, including the big game license, archery license and muzzleloading license, which would speed up the license buying effort. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries would set the fee, but it could not be more than the total cost of the current licenses. Some adjustment would be necessary, since fishing licenses are valid during the calendar year and hunting licenses during the fiscal year. Game officials believe it can be done with the proposed electronic license system. In fact, it might can be done at a discount. The bill was reported out of a House committee Wednesday with many questions but no negative votes.
H.B. 1423 would allow disabled hunters who have been issued a permit to hunt from a vehicle to kill antlerless deer on private property throughout the deer season with the written permission of the landowners. The sponsor is Jay Katzen, R-Warrenton.
A bill by Creigh Deeds, D-Warm Springs, would allow hunters and trappers who are age 65 or older to hunt and trap on public property in the county of city of their residents without purchasing a license. The current law allows such activities on private property only.
A bill vital to outdoor sportsmen that could get lost in the shuffle is H.B. 787, by Deeds which would guarantee citizens the right to hunt and fish through a constitutional amendment. It was passed last session, but must get a second favorable vote then be subject to a referendum at the Nov. 7, 2000 election. This could be the last chance for a constitutional amendment, which states: "the people have a right to hunt, fish and harvest game, subject to such regulations and restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law."
NOTE: Bills can be read and tracked on Roanoke.Com. Click on the newspaper image and follow your way to Politics pages.