Tennessee House Bill 1479 has taken a major step forward, which means hunters and fishermen are a step closer to increased license fees.
HB 1479 will move the authority for setting hunting & fishing license fees from the Legislature, to the 13-member Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission.
The Tennessee Conservation League, a private conservation organization, is one of the primary proponents of House Bill 1479. A companion bill has passed the Senate for two years, but has always failed to reach the House floor, staying stuck in the House Conservation Committee. In November TCL Executive Director Mike Butler says, "We have assurances from them that they're ready to move it this year."
Butler was apparently on target. The House Conservation Committee passed the measure last week with only one dissenting vote.
It's now scheduled in the Finance, Ways & Means Committee on February 4th. Until now the Conservation Committee has been the major hurdle, and paassage by that group bodes well for the bill. However when and if it makes it to the floor for a full vote by the House, it is likely to see some opposition.
In November Representative Bobby Wood, was opposed to the bill.
"I don't believe I would be in favor of it," said Rep. Wood at the time. "Anytime we give a separate board the authority (to set fees), we give up one of the checks & balances. It's a power I'd like to see the Legislature keep. We should take the blame, or the credit."
However today Rep. Wood has reversed his opinion.
"I have looked at (the bill) now and I believe now I am in favor of that," he said.
Rep. Wood says his change in philosophy comes because he's learned that the TWRC will still be under the scrutiny of the House.
"They would be dealing directly with the wildlife and would recognize the needs better than we would," he said.
Rep. Wood acknowledged that getting a license fee increase through the Legislature would be difficult during an election year, and that may be influencing some Legislators views on transferring the authority to the Wildlife Commission.
He says that while it wouldn't affect his vote, "I think that comes into play here.... it takes that stigma (of a fee increase) away from the Legislature."
Rep. Wood expressed grave concerns about the amount of increase expected however. TWRA Asst. Director Allen Gebhardt says the Agency has been pinching pennies since the last license increase nine years ago. He says the Agency needs about a 35 percent increase in license fees to maintain status quo.
Rep. Wood says that whether the fees were to be set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission, or by the Legislature, he would be concerned about an increase of that magnitude.
"That wouldn't be approved (by the Legislature).... there's no doubt in my mind about that," said Rep. Wood.
He said that even if the fee setting authority is transferred to the Wildlife Commission, "I'd have to discuss that (increase) with them."
In November, Jack Sharp, R-East Ridge also said he was opposed to HB 1479.
"I don't think it has wings yet," said Rep. Sharp. "Quite frankly I don't think I would be going along with it. That's what we were elected to do and that would be handing off our responsibility to someone else."
Now however, Rep. Sharp seems to be wavering slightly, but not completely.
"I have read the bill and looked at the funding... I am a little uneasy about giving them that authority but I'm not closed-minded on the thing."
Rep. Sharp says he's been lobbied by TWRA Asst. Director Allen Gebhardt and taken one telephone call from a sportsman, both in support of the bill. Otherwise he says, "I have not heard any dissent on the bill."
He says he's not ready to go as far as Rep. Woods in his support however.
"I'm not going to jump right into the pool and say 'alright boys, it looks like you've got the votes so I'll go with you," he said.
The representative knows transferring fee-setting authority would take some of the heat off of legislators.
"It's a good cop out, but it's not a direction I'm convinced we should go just yet," said Rep. Sharp.
Many legislators and sportsmen know a license increase is on the horizon. TWRA has been singing the blues about falling sorely behind in funding for at least three years.
"If we don't get a license increase through in the coming year there will be some catastrophic cuts in TWRA," said Gary Kimsey, Wildlife Commissioner from Sweetwater, Tenn. Kimsey admits some might compare it to "taxation without representation," but says he'll lobby for passage of the bill.
"We need to take it out of the political arena," he said, although he knows that accepting the authority for raising hunting & fishing license fees could mean taking some grief from sportsmen.
"Sure we'd take some flak," said Kimsey. "But you've got be willing to take some heat for our fish and wildlife."
TCL has posted a survey on their web page asking sportsmen to vote on the issue. According to Butler, "88 percent have said they want TWRC to have the authority (to set license fees)."
One of those is Tony Sanders, Director of Hunter Education for the Highland Sportsman Club in Hixson.
He and other supporters argue that whether sportsmen are for or against a license increase, they stand a better chance lobbying a 13-member commission than they do the entire Legislature.
"Legislators haven't been prudent in the way they deal with TWRA in the past," said Sanders. "They're not acting in the interest of the sportsmen. They're acting in the interest of a state that can't balance its budget."
"There's a lot of oversight built into the bill," said Butler. "The amount of a license increase can't go up beyond the increase in the Consumer Price Index. And the wildlife commission has to report to House and Senate committees that could kill the increase."
Butler adds that there are 18 state wildlife commissions in the country that have the authority to set their own hunting and fishing license fees.
In November neither Rep. Sharp nor Rep. Wood was swayed by the arguments. Mr. Wood has apparently had a change of heart.
Click HERE to track the bill. Type in HB1479 (no spaces) and hit "Enter"