The first act of leadership I want to highlight is the first bill I introduced, House File 680. This is a bill related to hunting big game in Minnesota.
Steve Stauff, a Shakopee resident and friend, is red/green colorblind and can have a hard time tracking the blood trail of deer. Minnesota was one of the few states in the US that did not allow the use of dogs to track the scent after big game has been shot.
We worked very closely with the MN DNR, MN Deer Hunters Association, Bluffland Whitetail Association, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, United Blood Trackers, and many of my DFL and Republican colleagues to craft a bill we agreed on.
This was no easy task because the DNR was not a big fan but we were able to get the agency on board and passed the bill off of the House Floor with a vote of 100 to 24.
Senator Pratt carried the bill in the Senate and it was signed into law by Governor Walz as part of the Environmental Omnibus Bill – Senate File 7.
During the 2018 campaign, our opponent often told people how I wanted to take away guns and end hunting in Minnesota. That obviously couldn’t be further from the truth. I went on to carry another bill with the MN Gun Owners Caucus that would rebate sales tax on non-lead ammunition. Unfortunately, that bill was thwarted by COVID and we were unable to get a hearing.
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