Transcript Highlights:

• So if it ends on a Friday or Saturday, deer season or all the hunting season will be extended till that
• ,<00:10:47.440> rabbits, having limit on deer, rabbits, having limit on deer, rabbits, squirrels
• public land trapping some 150 inch deer public land trapping some 150 inch deer taking<00:19:07.919
• The the charging you to hunt them.
• hunt have a place to go. hunt have a place to go.

Keywords: Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks - Room 210, 2 February, 2026; 3:00 P.M., 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2664, which would amend the lifetime hunting license program so anyone under age 18 could buy the license for a $500 fee. After a brief explanation and no questions, the committee adopted a motion for title sufficient and do pass, and the bill was reported. Members then considered Senate Bill 2436, described as a step toward establishing a black bear hunting season in Mississippi beginning with the 2027-28 season. The bill would require the department to set rules based on black bear population data, use a lottery system for tags, create one annual governor’s tag, delay nonresident tags until at least 2032-33, cap those tags at 10%, and add penalties for violations. The committee again moved title sufficient and do pass with a committee substitute, and the bill was reported. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2420, which would clarify last year’s hunting-season extension so that if a season ends on Friday or Saturday, it would continue through Sunday. That bill received a do-pass motion and was reported. Senate Bill 2659, creating a voluntary lifetime conservation legacy license for Mississippians over 65 for a one-time $250 fee, also passed the committee and was reported. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 2660, the catfish bill, with testimony from a guest and department officials. Supporters argued the bill was needed to curb commercial harvesting of trophy catfish from the Mississippi River, protect the resource, and support tourism and events such as the Vicksburg catfish tournament. Department staff said a possible approach would be to prohibit transporting live catfish over 34 inches, which they said could help stop the practice without affecting farm-raised catfish. Members discussed concerns about impacts on local fishermen and clarified that the bill was aimed at Mississippi River waters; the committee did not reach a final vote on this bill in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this deer bill, I'll call it the deer bill, but this one here is obviously one that we can all agree
• <00:08:39.360> claims right at $60 million in deer claims right at $60 million in deer claims
• Deer claims alone. And that's alone. Deer claims alone.
• We see deer the roadsides every day.
• The deer population the deer population.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:15 HB 658 Discussion: 03:40 HB 658 Roll Call Vote: 04:50 HB 142 Discussion: 06:30 HB 142 Roll Call Vote: 22:45 HB 571 Discussion: 24:25 HB 571 Roll Call Vote: 29:10, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 658, which would require the Transportation Cabinet to adopt regulations extending the allowable period for a restricted CDL license from 180 to 210 days within a 12-month period for agriculture businesses. Rep. Felicia Rabourn presented the bill with support from Todd Griffin of the Kentucky Retail Federation and Agra Business Association. The committee quickly moved to a vote, and the bill passed with favorable expression. Members indicated it would move forward similarly on the House floor. The committee then considered House Bill 142, a deer-management bill sponsored by Rep. Pollock and amended by committee substitute. Pollock said the bill is intended to help farmers and landowners more quickly obtain destruction tags and address overpopulated deer, especially does, after describing crop losses, vehicle collisions, and deer carcasses seen along roadways. Members from farming districts strongly supported the measure, saying deer damage is costly and widespread and that the bill would reduce paperwork by allowing landowners to obtain tags without having to route everything through each landlord. Questions focused on how Fish and Wildlife would determine overpopulated zones and how the damage-verification process would work; Pollock said the department retains discretion and must inspect damage within 15 days. The committee adopted the sub and passed the bill with favorable expression. Finally, Rep. Kim Holloway presented House Bill 571, which would require Transportation Cabinet light fixtures to be fully shielded to reduce light pollution affecting agriculture. She said light trespass can disrupt crop photoperiodism, pollination, and yields, and noted the economic importance of Kentucky agriculture. Members asked whether the bill applies only to Transportation Cabinet lights and how complaints would be handled; Holloway said it applies to state transportation lights and includes a process for landowners to request shielding, with a 30-day compliance period and a construction/maintenance exemption of up to 180 days. The committee approved the committee substitute and continued discussion of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• if it finds a deer, or something like that.
• You know, deer in the pasture, move around. around, right?
• On top of that, the white-tailed deer hunting industry in Texas this generates over $9 billion and the
• consuming deer protein or corn on a daily basis.
• I run a deer feed company. We bag deer feed and we ship it all over the country really.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• able to hunt. able to hunt.
• Our hunting um sort of into hunting.
• It's hunting. You know, we need to go, we need to hunt.
• It's hunting. You know, we need to go, we need to hunt.
• in a um in an about hunting and hunting in a um in an ethical<00:16:26.320> way.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• hunting with my red light on because, of course, deer can see red light.
• experience going out pre-dawn deer experience going out pre-dawn deer hunting<01:32:15.760> with
• Would this be something that the DNR would usually issue when they're giving out deer hunting permits
• Would this be something that the DNR would usually issue when they're giving out deer hunting permits
• issue when they're giving out deer issue when they're giving out deer hunting<01:36:36.000> permits

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You can hunt, you can fish, you things.
• For hunting and fishing.
• Um, it will be open to the public for hunting.
• Um, it will be open to the public for hunting.
• Um but that's public for hunting.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Brad Hunt. In the gallery.
• Hunt County, please stand at this time.
• Hunt County is not just a place, but a community.
• The citizens of Hunt County make it exceptional.
• Speaker, members, Deer Park Chamber of Commerce recognition, members today I rise to recognize the Deer

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've done it in the past with our deer seasons.
• We've done it in the past with our deer seasons.
• We've done it in the past with our deer seasons.
• We've done it in the past with our deer seasons.
• Guilford, Weldon at the at the hunting Guilford, Weldon at the at the hunting club<00:44:25.280>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, approving the consent calendar and the minutes. It then took up a Department of Employment Security rule, 24193, where the only issue was that a form had not been incorporated by reference. The department submitted an oral conditional approval request with revised language, and the committee approved the rule conditionally. A second Employment Security rule, 195, raised concerns that the notice language was too broad and vague and could amount to oral rulemaking; because the agency had not yet finalized revised language, the committee granted a one-month waiver so the rule could return next month with a conditional approval proposal. The Department of Safety’s contact person notification program rule, 24237, drew comments about Social Security number collection, unclear drafting on one section, and ambiguity about which application needed a signature. The agency agreed to remove Social Security number references from the rules and forms and to adopt the suggested clarifying language with minor edits. After discussion about why the identifiers were needed, the committee approved the rule conditionally with the oral changes. The committee then moved a previously consent-calendar item, OPLC rule 2547, off consent after Representative Maguire objected that the renewal application form was too health-care-focused and user-unfriendly for other professions; the agency said it would revisit the form, and the committee postponed action until next month without needing a waiver. The final major item was Fish and Game’s HB 2548, which changes licensing and permit rules for taking deer, bear, moose, turkey, and furbearing animals. Staff noted extensive public testimony, including a coalition submission, and said the main dispute was over what data the agency should rely on in setting seasons and take limits. Fish and Game explained that declining trapper participation made capture-per-unit-effort data less reliable, so it also uses hunter surveys and UNH research projects funded in part by federal money; the agency said current trapping removals are very low and do not appear to threaten populations. Committee members and public witnesses questioned whether the agency’s responses to comments were sufficiently specific under the new public-comment law, but no final vote on the Fish and Game rule was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But you can't even bring a domestic, uh, little furry guy with you if you want to go hunting for deer
• But you can't even bring a domestic, uh, little furry guy with you if you want to go hunting for deer
• But you can't even bring a domestic, uh, little furry guy with you if you want to go hunting for deer
• > or bring a ferret deer hunting with them or bring a ferret deer hunting with them or follow<01:
• Their hunting abilities matter nothing to me. I don't care if they're good at hunting deer.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Ninety-nine point nine percent of our hunts are all done on donated private ground.
• to hunt.
• And over 38,000 acres of private ground in the valley to hunt.
• I'm Rob Oakley with Hunt of a Lifetime. We're a nationwide organization.
• And we were taking kids out on those hunts. And last year, we did the same.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and the future of hunting, you know, from now on?
• So the, um, hunting over, hunting over any kind of food...”
• To harvest them and hunt them.
• it without having to pay to go to a private club to hunt.
• And D-MAP program for deer, turkey, quail.

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police leadership about the agency’s role in federal immigration enforcement. Colonel Mike Hager said State Police has completed 287(g) training for all but 12 officers and is authorized to assist ICE in limited circumstances, but is not an immigration enforcement agency. He emphasized that troopers only make immigration-related notifications after lawful stops or arrests for other offenses, and that the agency uses discretion and chain-of-command approval for any planned operation. Members asked about how immigration status is determined, whether stops are tracked, whether local agencies are participating, and whether there are costs or reimbursement mechanisms; Hager said the agency began tracking encounters in September and had 48 detentions since then, most tied to other criminal violations such as DWIs or domestic violence. He also said there were no current planned immigration operations beyond assisting federal partners. The committee then received an update from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Doug Schoenrock on wildlife management areas, waterfowl habitat, and related infrastructure. He reported that most moist-soil units and green tree reservoirs were flooded or near normal, with one new pump not yet operational and a vandalized Ed Gordon/Point Remove pump back in service since December. He also said the Lake Conway dam and water-control work were progressing, with a public meeting scheduled at Mayflower High School. Questions followed about dock removal notices, maintenance on other water-control structures, and a recent fatal boating accident at Baumito WMA, which Schoenrock described as a high-speed collision in flooded timber and said the agency was working on a safety memorial effort with the victim’s widow. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on duck season, drought conditions, and criticism of the Flyway Federation’s push to restrict hunting over standing corn. Schoenrock said Arkansas remains the nation’s top duck-hunting destination, but drought and warm weather have reduced water availability and caused ducks to move north; he cited survey numbers showing 1.4 million ducks in the state at the end of December but a much lower January count. He argued that standing corn is legal and that federal habitat and water policy, not Arkansas law, drives long-term duck populations. Members raised concerns about changing migration patterns, the role of private clubs, federal regulation, and the possible effects of wind turbines and solar panels on waterfowl; Schoenrock and Commissioner Chris Caldwell said the commission is studying those issues, including a University of Arkansas at Monticello project on avoidance behavior, and that no immediate regulatory changes were announced. The committee took no formal vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Consumption of this product in wild deer?
• The aspect is the groups that feed deer have a pretty good idea of how much corn or milled grain a deer
• There are 12 million cattle that graze our lands, more than 5 million white-tailed deer, plus mule deer
• Infected deer, key deer treated with doramectin showed no larvae in the wounds.
• With deer, that's easy.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just reestablishing a wolf hunt back in Minnesota.
• hunters while they're out in the woods hunting deer as well.
• The state cannot authorize the harvesting of wolves. weekend of the deer hunting, they were weekend of
• the deer hunting, they were close<01:06:24.440> to<01:06:24.560> their<01:06:24.760>
• Nobody else gets a hunt.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, if say like deer, you come out in the field, you don't, you come across a dead deer.
• corn or milled grain, um, a deer will eat.
• In the ability to have some sort of therapeutic for off-label use for captive deer, deer breeding operations
• There's 12 million cattle that graze our lands, more than 5 million white-tailed deer, plus mule deer
• Infected deer, key deer treated with Doramectin showed no larvae in the wounds.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the state, the very most central part of the state, the Brainerd Lakes area, as I mentioned, to hunt
• and fish and even have kayuna hunt and fish and even have kayuna nearby<00:05:07.039> so<00:05
• Uh, I can name some of them: the deer bear management account, the emergency deer feeding account, the
• bear management account the deer bear management account the emergency<00:25:52.320> deer<00:
• emergency deer feeding account the deer emergency deer feeding account the deer habitat<00:25:54.480

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an organizational hearing of the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance Committee. Members and staff introduced themselves, with several legislators noting their backgrounds in farming, mining, water management, and outdoor recreation, and the chair reviewed draft committee rules emphasizing decorum, quorum, timely starts, and submitting bill hearing requests to the committee administrator. The committee also heard from nonpartisan staff and caucus staff who will support the committee this session. House Research and House Fiscal staff then provided an overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and the major agencies and programs it oversees. The presentation covered the Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency, Environmental Quality Board, Board of Water and Soil Resources, Metropolitan Council regional parks and water resources, Conservation Corps of Minnesota, Minnesota Zoological Board, Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. Staff summarized the main statutory chapters and subject areas under each, including wildlife, state lands, mining, water use, air and water permitting, environmental review, wetlands, drainage, and natural resources funding. The finance portion explained the committee’s appropriation types and major funding sources, including direct, statutory, and open appropriations. Staff highlighted the general fund, bonding, the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Game and Fish Fund, and the Heritage Enhancement Account, along with how those dollars are typically used for parks and trails, habitat, land acquisition, flood and drainage projects, and agency operations. Members also discussed whether DNR and BWSR responsibilities in overlapping water statutes can conflict; staff said responsibilities are generally clear in statute, though conflicts can occur and are usually resolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• farmed and wild deer.
• lay of the land there for the deer lay of the land there for the deer farmers<01:05:14.880> in
• 79 deer farms in Minnesota<01:05:50.079> 19<01:05:50.520> deer<01:05:50.760> farms<
• would be a fence would keep two deers would be a fence would keep two deers from<01:08:00.799>
• have three four five deer most of those<01:09:22.000> smaller<01:09:22.400> deer<01:09:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Chair Foung Hawj opened the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee meeting by welcoming members, agency staff, and constituents, and by outlining the committee’s shared-power arrangement for the session. Members introduced themselves and described environmental activities from the interim, including gardening, outdoor recreation, farming visits, Great Lakes work, and a tree-planting trip in Thailand that Hawj said symbolized cultural unity and environmental stewardship. Ben Stanley, the committee’s nonpartisan counsel, then explained the co-chairs’ operating agreement: Hawj would chair the meeting, Senator John Hoffman would chair the next two meetings, then Hawj would chair the following two, with the chair rotating after each pair of meetings. Agendas would be set jointly, additional meetings would require both chairs’ approval, and passing a bill out of committee would require a majority of all committee members, or seven votes. At Senator Tory Westrom’s request, the agreement was to be emailed to members in writing. Stanley also reviewed the committee’s jurisdiction, which includes environmental and natural resources bills, legacy funds, and agencies such as the Environmental Quality Board, Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency, and Board of Water and Soil Resources, along with several related councils and boards. Fiscal analyst Dan Mueller then gave a budget overview of the committee’s agencies, noting that many current biennium appropriations include one-time general fund money that drops back in the 2026-27 base budget. He highlighted funding levels for the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, Metro Parks, Conservation Corps, BWSR, the Minnesota Zoo, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Landfill Contingency Action Trust Account, and said the committee’s base-budget area totals about $2.2 billion. He also reviewed the Legacy funds, estimating available 2026-27 appropriations of about $327 million for Outdoor Heritage, $31.7 million for Clean Water, $133 million for Parks and Trails, and $185 million for Arts and Cultural Heritage. No votes or bill actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• know the same issues that we're dealing with across all of our sporting activities, whether that's hunting
• or fishing, uh, whether that's hunting or fishing, uh, the<00:01:57.280> average<00:01:57.600
• Um, you know, I like anything that's going to get kids outside hunting, fishing, uh, more regularly.
• I like anything that's going to get kids outside hunting, fishing, uh, more regularly.
• Um, would you consider looking at it sort of like deer hunting zones?

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• hunting in the Kisatchie National Forest.
• It comes from the... deer hunting in the Kisatchie National Forest.
• I'd just like to say I do deer hunt with dogs, and I'd like to introduce this resolution to continue
• And I just would like to know if Senator Reese actually ever used dogs for deer hunting.
• I have hunted deer with dogs.

Bills: SCR12, HB221, HB509, HCR58, HB75, HB1222, SB121, SB312, SB348, SB485, SCR9, SCR58, SB65, SB215, SB249, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB323, SB363, SB369, SB474, SB490, SB492, SB500, SB514, HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HCR32, HB944, HB17, HB41, HB73, HB223, HB244, HB410, HB750, HB759, HB906, HB966, HB1006, HB1009, HB1086, HB1107, HB1112, HB1215, HB1242, SB208, SB217, SB283, SB387, SB389, SB401, SB408, SB469, HB74, HB119, HB368, HB414, HB552, HB732, HB776, HB848, HB870, HB953, HB956, HB1236, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB78, SB149, SB274, SB300, SB341, SB382, SB441, SB449, HB134, HB210, HB258, HB359, HB468, HB784, HB1117

Keywords: logging, recognition, John Keith, environment, safety, Mississippi River bridge, Trump Expressway, transportation, federal funding, Louisiana highways, injection wells, public hearing, geologic sequestration, environmental impact, public comment, Ascension Parish, state capitol, economic development, community partnership, celebration day

Transcript Highlights:

• We're in the middle of our deer management, our five-year midpoint deer plan review.
• People are still deer hunting a lot. We didn't see a real decline there.
• I still see people go deer hunting. They still have their shacks.
• c> have people go deer hunting they still have people go deer hunting they still have their<00:39
• We are finding some new deer that have popped up.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Wild deer? Is that...
• We don't collect the number of deer.
• We don't monitor for the number of dead deer out there, the deer that died from CWD. To Dr.
• than that of not-positive deer.
• I hear that deer breeders don't want to do that, and those who are for wild deer don't want to do it

Keywords: 1185, senate, all