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Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014
The Journal
OUTDOORS
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Virginia legislation for outdoors and firearms update Mark Fike It is that time of year when our state legislators are busy representing us in Richmond. Delegate Ransone and Senator Stuart have both put forth bills to be heard. In addition, there are other bills that sportsmen and women should be aware of. Game and Inland Fisheries has a link on their website for the related bills at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/legislation/. This link is very useful and gives a summary of the bills with the ability to click on the bill itself to get more details. Below is a print version of what is going on, as I have summarized it from this website. I chose bills that I thought would be of interest to local sportsmen and women. HB 127 De. Scott—Would allow the use of certain muzzleloader pistols for hunting during muzzleloader seasons. Thoughts: Pistols are tough to shoot accurately at any distance beyond 2025 yards. However, it would be nice to have a muzzleloader pistol option. HB 307—Del. Lingamfelter— Would allow local school boards to
provide hunter education classes after school for grades 7-12. These classes would be taught by certified instructors. Thoughts: I cannot find anywhere that prohibits schools from offering the program. In fact, I took a hunter education class during school hours in King George as a student. Not sure the bill is needed, although I think we need to offer the course in our schools even if kids don’t hunt. The gun safety part of the program would help prevent accidents in the future. HB 650—Del. Ransone--Boating safety course. Exempts persons 45 years of age, or older on July 1, 2014, from having to pass a boating safety education course in order to operate a motorboat, if they possess a currently valid motorboat registration certificate. The bill also exempts persons who hold various landings and aquaculture licenses and permits from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission from the requirements of the boater safety education course. SB 52 by Sen. Stuart appears to be the same. Thoughts—I think this is a very
reasonable bill that would not detract from the safety of our boaters on the water. Inexperience tends to be the problem with boating accidents or alcohol-related issues. In fact, I wish the legislature would exempt those who have held a boating registration for ten years consecutively. HB 715—Del. Wright Jr.—Establishes a combined archery and crossbow license for $17, or $30 for nonresidents. Thoughts—Not sure why the delegate wanted to cut the price. The current price is $18 per license. Now, you would get both for $17. While I am all about saving money, I would think that would hurt an already struggling agency that serves us. Perhaps raising the fee to $25 would be reasonable and still save hunters money. HB 735—Del. Lingamfelter — Requires any property owner posting notice of a claim of a right in a submerged bottomland, also to post the location where a record of the special grant for the property may be found. Thoughts—Personal property rights are near and dear to me. However,
public waters are public, and I suspect this bill has a relation to the fight in the western portion of our state where anglers are banned from floating and fishing a stretch of a river by a person claiming a King’s Grant. HB 857—Del. Fariss — Removes the exception allowing those hunting during the special season for hunting deer with a muzzle-loading rifle to refrain from wearing certain blaze orange clothing. Thoughts—If I feel like I might encounter other hunters on my land or land I hunt, I can put on blaze orange if I feel the need. There is no law against wearing blaze orange. HB 1250/1237/SB 154—Bills would permit Sunday hunting in some form. Thoughts—Personally, I am against the idea. During the fall, the woods are beautiful, and non-hunters might want to enjoy the woods with us, without wandering into areas we are hunting or messing up our hunting. Why not continue to allow this and let the woods rest? They have a right to enjoy the woods, too. I only know
of a small number of people that would like to hunt on Sunday. SB 145 — Sen. Stuart — Establishes a special $10 license for hunting foxes, with hounds but without firearms. The license exempts the licensee from the requirement that he/she complete a hunter education program. Thoughts—Being that fox hunters are using the management/resources that hunters have paid for, it is a small thing to ask that they purchase a license at just over half the cost of a regular license. However, by doing this, those same individuals may want a bigger piece of the pie and more foxes in the state. Perhaps if fox hunters hold a regular hunting license, they should not have to purchase this license? SB 602—Sen. Stuart — Prohibits the placement of non-riparian stationary blinds in a marked navigation channel. The bill also removes the prohibition against such blinds being located in waters having a depth greater than eight feet at mean high tide. SB 629 — Sen. Marsden — Pro-
vides that no person who is recreationally floating upon certain waters in a non-motorized vessel shall be liable for civil or criminal trespass. The bill provides that existing ownership rights in real property shall remain unchanged. Thoughts—Unfortunately necessary to protect anglers and hunters, due to a case that got out of hand in the western portion of our state. There are a number of firearmsrelated bills on the floor of the House and Senate. PLEASE let your representative know how you feel on these bills. http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/ legp604.exe?141+sbj+068 Del. Ransone General Assembly Building, Rm 809 Capitol Square Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 698-1099 email: DelMRansone@house.virginia.gov Senator Stuart General Assembly Building, Rm 302 Capitol Square Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 698-7528 email: district28@senate.virginia.gov
Va. Transportation committee advances bill increasing bicycle passing distances By Lauren McClellan Capital News Service RICHMOND – The Virginia Senate Transportation committee recently has approved a bill increasing the distance at which cars must pass bicycles, from two feet to three feet. Senate Bill 97, introduced by Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Fredericksburg, has been unsuccessfully introduced in the past by Reeves and a number of other Republican and Democratic
Resolve to prepare your family for emergencies in 2014 There is no more important resolution to make than to renew our personal efforts to be sure our families are ready for whatever 2014 will bring. Everyone can do something to prepare for emergencies. Consider this: disasters can happen at any time, and families may not be together. Power could be lost, and cell phones may not work. Families should decide in advance what they will do. Some questions to discuss: Do you and your family members have contact phone numbers memorized or written down and placed in backpacks and wallets? Do you have a plan on how to meet up with family if you are separated? Do you know how to contact your children’s school(s) in case of an emergency? Do you have three days of emergency supplies and water set aside? Families and individuals can fill out an emergency plan, post it in their homes, and share it with family and friends. Get free plan worksheets, wallet cards and emergency supply checklists at www.ReadyVirginia.gov or on the free Ready Virginia app for iPhone and Android devices. Take a few minutes in the new year to decide who to call, where to meet, and what supplies to have at home or in your office in case you can’t get out, or if you have to evacuate because of a bad situation. Don’t try to wing it, as this family did: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7mH V3el2g0&feature=youtu.be For tips and testimonies about being prepared for emergencies, follow #Prepared2014 throughout the year.
legislators. Previous opponents of the bill, including Sen. Charles W. Carrico, R-Galax, have cited enforceability issues as a reason for barring passage of the bill, saying that it is hard for drivers to know the difference between two and three-foot distances while driving. This bill would change the distance at which a car can pass electric personal assistive mobility devices (scooters and wheelchairs), mopeds
and animal-drawn vehicles. Twenty-two other states and Washington, D.C. have similar laws that say drivers must pass bicycles with at least 3 feet of room. The Virginia Bicycling Federation supports the bill and its members have been meeting with legislators to advocate for the bill’s passage. “We had reps from the City of Virginia Beach speaking to the Senate Transportation Committee in support of SB97,” stated Scott Cra-
mer, board member of the VBF from Norfolk, Va. “When city officials, not just cyclists, want to be seen as bikefriendly, that’s a big step forward.” To Cramer, the new bill would give cyclists another layer of protection from vehicles that have wide trailers or large mirrors. Cramer also thinks that the passage of this bill would help the relationship between Virginia cyclists and drivers. “It will help Virginia’s standing as a bicycle-friendly state, since having
a 3-foot pass law is a criterion from the League of American Bicyclists,” Cramer stated in an email. “It sends a message to citizens -- drivers and cyclists -- that cyclists’ space on the road should be respected.” In 2013, the League of American Bicyclists rated Virginia the 16th most bike-friendly state. The league provided feedback with their ranking, stating that Virginia should consider enacting a 3-foot passing law. In 2015, Richmond will host the
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Union Cycliste Internationale World Road Championships. Lee Kramer, marketing and communications director for the event’s Richmond organizing body, thinks SB 97 could benefit all of the commonwealth. “We hope this event is not (only) about bike racing, but making the region more bike-friendly for recreation and transportation,” Kramer said. “Any legislation that further supports (this) is a good thing as far as we’re concerned.”
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