Dueling bills in the state House and Senate stand at odds over the future of hunting and fishing fees, with the former looking to raise their cost and the latter to freeze prices. The altered House Bill 208, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Trey Rhodes, would increase annual hunting licenses from $10 to $15 and fishing licenses from $9 to $15.
By bringing those costs “to align with Southern averages,” the state could hire as many as 40 new game wardens and build miles of new roads to and on public forests. State auditors have claimed that by raising license rates, the state could bring in nearly $7 million annually. The version of the bill passed its subcommittee and will head to the House Game, Fish, and Parks Committee later this week.
Meanwhile on the other side of the Capitol, state Sen. Bill Heath, another Republican, sponsored Senate Bill 48, which would freeze the cost of hunting and fishing licenses where they are for the indefinite future. The bill quickly passed the Senate without much issue by a margin of 53-1. Said Heath on the bill, “I think that we need to keep our citizens’ ability to access these hunting and fishing licenses and the rights to hunt and fish as economical as possible.”
Should HB 208 pass we could see an interesting moment when two conflicting bills find themselves on the floor of the House and Senate.
