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Special Alert!
Yesterday, the Massachusetts House released their proposed budget (found at www.state.ma.us/legis/04budget/house/frame.html for Fiscal Year 2004 (which starts July 1, 2003). It would drastically affect gun owners and sportsmen in two different ways.
Here's what you need to know:
Outside section 280 would repeal the Inland Fisheries And Game Fund and the Wildland Stamp Land Acquisition accounts;
Language contained in budget sections 462 and 465 would divert some of those funds to a health care program. This is a clear violation of federal regulations regarding the disposition of Pittman-Robertson Act and Dingell-John son Act funds. Roughly translated, the state will LOSE about 4.6 million dollars a year from this move - roughly 60% of the DFW budget!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
GOAL urges you to contact your state representatives IMMEDIATELY, but in any case no later than Friday afternoon. Ask them to sign on to the Straus-Peterson Amendment to fix this Fund issue. Not sure how to contact your representative? Go to www.state.ma.us/legis/citytown.htm to find a listing of representatives by city and town.
Here's the second way in which the budget would affect gun owners and sportsmen:
Outside sections 305 through 311 would quadruple the fee for FID Cards or Licenses to Carry a Firearm from $25 to $100!
Unfortunately, complicated rules on proposed financial budget amendments would require that any proposed loss of revenue be made up. In other words, if we wish to retain a licensing fee at $25; House rules require us to come up with the "missing" $75. It will be some time before we can create an amendment to deal with this issue.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact your state representative and tell them why you think $100 for a license every four years is excessive. You will be laying the groundwork for a future call when a more specific amendment is offered.
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Now this is the first I've seen this bit - if anyone has additional ifo - that would be great...
I'm not a gun owner so I can't speak for the repercussions there other than often dovetail with those of us anglers...