The tourist based hunting industry is a Billion Dollar industry for other States which have decided to promote it. On 16 January a bill, HB1144, drafted to promote a favorable environment by which to operate tourist based hunting in Mississippi was presented to your committee. At the time of presentation, this bill was, at best, a rough draft containing solutions to the “gray” areas in existing laws, under Title 49 of the Mississippi State Code. At the time the codes were legislated, the industry was only beginning and as it has become more sophisticated, the possibility of large growth is now on the horizon.
During the hearing, members of MDWFP, the Mississippi Exotic Wildlife Association and the newly formed Southeastern Game Rancher’s Association were present. The focus of the debate shifted to how to deal with the native wildlife, within our existing enclosures and how to deal with this issue in the future.
House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee Chairman, Eric Robinson, quickly realized the bill needed some “tweaking” and recommended that a separate meeting to resolve these issues was required. The chairman recommended we hold a meeting in a side room with all of the interested parties, and draft a bill that would be acceptable to all and meet the intent of the original bill.
This meeting produced some very good discussion between all interested parties. The MDWFP representatives and their attorney admitted MDWFP were in need of clarifying the existing regulations and listened to all of our suggestions. MDWFP stated “We knew this would come up soon and we already have proposed regulations written”. MDWFP assured all present, that their proposed regulations would acceptable to the intent of the bill and that they would encourage joint participation between the MDWFP and enclosed wildlife facilities. Since we did not have time to draft the actual regulations in the two hours left before the committee reconvened, a compromise was made. The details of that compromise were:
1. The bill would be substituted as act to regulate Big Game Intensive Management Facilities.
2. MDWFP would draft reasonable and sensible regulations pertaining to wildlife these enclosures.
3. The bill “if passed” would become law on July 1, 2006 and MDWFP would draft and promulgate these regulations no later than October 1, 2006.
4. The regulations would not impose any hardships on the existing enclosure operators and all new enclosures could make the transition to the new regulations easily.
With these assurances, the MSEWA and SGRA agreed to substitute the bill and give MDWFP the right to draft these regulations. During this meeting, there was a sense of dis-trust with this plan and it was stated that this agreement was much like “the fox watching the hen house”.
With the bill amended, it returned to the house committee where this substitute bill was passed unanimously on 30, January, 2006.
On 8, February 2006, and with proper debate, HB1144 passed the entire House by a vote of 96 to 23, a resounding majority exceeding the 3/5 majority required for passage.
On 10, February 2006, Substitute HB1144 was transmitted to the Senate.
On 13, February 2006, the bill was submitted to the Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Subcommittee chaired by Lynn Posey.
On 28, February 2006, the Senate committee began debate on the substitute bill, during it’s regularly scheduled meeting. There, the bill was amended and a “Train Wreck” occurred. MDWFP and Lynn Posey had used the time between the House debate the Senate committee meeting, to draft proposed statutes, not regulations, to replace both the title and all of the language in substitute HB1144.
No sane person could remotely construe the changes made in the Senate to be either “reasonable” nor acceptable towards promoting our industry. It would appear that the “fox” had made an all out assault! on the “hen house”.
On 08, March 2006, the Senate committee adopted the new constraining amendments and passed the bill on to the Senate for a vote. The bill passed the Senate as newly amended.
On 09, March 2006, the bill was then transmitted back to the house committee in which it originated for “concurrence”.
On 14, March 2006, the house declined to concur, and invited the Senate to a conference about the bill.
On 15, March 2006, the house Conferees were named, Representatives EricRobinson, Joey Hudson and Angela Cockerham.
On 15, March 2006, the senate Conferees were named Posey, Dearing and Hyde-Smith.
On 27, March 2006, both committees submitted their reports. At this time the bill was basically returned to its original form with a lot of help from Dr. Sam Polles, Director of MDWFP. It must be noted that Dr. Polles was a key player in keeping life in this bill.
On 28, March 2006, the following bill was signed by both the Senate and House conferees and transmitted to the governor for signature.
