Senator Mike Bell Receives National Award For Advancing Legislation To Promote Hunting, 2nd Amendment Rights, And Wildlife Conservation
Monday, May 15, 2017
Senator Mike Bell has received a major national award from the Safari Club International (SCI) for advancing legislation to promote hunting, Second Amendment rights, and wildlife conservation. The national conservation and hunter advocacy organization named Bell their 2016 Legislator of the Year, besting thousands of other state lawmakers across the United States for the prestigious award. Senator Bell was selected from a list of 11 finalists.
The award was presented at a ceremony in Washington, DC on May 10. Senator Bell was also honored by the Tennessee General Assembly last week after passage of Senate Joint Resolution 366 heralding the achievement.
“An avid hunter and angler and SCI Member, Senator Bell has demonstrated an understanding of promoting and protecting our outdoor heritage for future generations across the Volunteer State,” said SCI President Larry Higgins. “He has introduced and passed comprehensive legislation that creates a legacy for future sportsmen. SCI is proud to honor Senator Bell as the 2016 SCI State Legislator of the Year.”
“I appreciate this recognition very much and all the work that the Safari Club does to preserve this nation’s hunting and fishing heritage,” said Senator Bell. “I look forward to continuing to partner with my fellow legislators across the nation and the Safari Club in fighting for our Second Amendment rights and the rights of outdoorsmen and women.”
Among other accomplishments, Senator Bell has led efforts to:
· Allow firearms carry permit holders to possess a firearm in a refuge, public hunting area, or a wildlife management area;
· Prohibit anti-hunting radicals from using drones to interfere with lawful hunting and fishing;
· Protect funding for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency;
· Enact a Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish amendment, which would have enshrined the right to hunt, fish, and harvest game subject to reasonable rules and regulations, and established a standard for reviewing such rules and regulations.