Attention, all MOS Chapter Chairs

Ellen Paul (epaul@dclink.com)
Sun, 07 Mar 1999 10:04:37 -0500


JUST IN CASE the Sunday hunting bills make it out of committee, we need
to gear up to stop it from getting through the legislature.  

One of the hunters presented a petition signed by 3,000 hunters.  He's
been gathering signatures since October.  Obviously, the "opposition"
didn't have a chance to do that since we didn't have the luxury of
knowing that the legislation would be introduced.

But we can make up for lost time.  If you have any chapter meetings
coming up, or birding outings coming up, circulate a petition.  It need
only say:  We are opposed to S.B. 566 and H.B. 906.  We are opposed to
Sunday hunting in Maryland.  

I'm going to suggest to the equestrians and orienteering groups that
they do the same.

Even if the bills don't make it out of committee, it won't be time and
effort wasted because we were told (threatened?) that it would be back
next year.  Now, I personally believe that's unlikely.  No sponsor wants
to waste time and political capital on bringing back bills that were
hotly opposed and that only recently were defeated.  But it could very
well happen, so we can always use the petitions next year.  

In fact, in anticipation of this coming up again next year, could
someone who is going (Gail?) please circulate a petition at the MOS
annual conference?

If you send them to me, I'll be sure they get copied and get to the
legislature.

Thanks.

Ellen
(my address is 3713 Chevy Chase Lake Drive, Apt. 3, Chevy Chase, MD
20815)



-- 
Ellen Paul           
Executive Director
The Ornithological Council
Mailto:epaul@dclink.com
Ornithological Council Website:  http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET
"Providing Scientific Information about Birds"