JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Two bills, one of which could dramatically affect the operations of the Missouri Department of Conservation, are making their way through the Missouri legislature and drawing a lot of attention from sportsmen.
The first is House Joint Resolution 18, sponsored by Rep. Mike Moon in Lawrence County. There are no co-sponsors on the bill.
In HJR 18, Moon seeks to abolish the current section of the Missouri Constitution, approved in 1976, which authorizes the one-eighth cent “Design for Conservation” sales tax and replace it with a constitutional provision bringing the tax before voters of the state every six years. Similar legislation has failed in the past.
The conservation sales tax is unique to Missouri and is the largest source of funding for the Department of Conservation at around 61.5 percent of its nearly $195 million budget. Other funding comes from permit sales, federal reimbursements, sales and other items. Without the tax, the department would have to rely on general fund money for most of its operations.
“The voters haven’t had an opportunity to reconsider the tax since 1976, and this allows them to have that option,” Moon said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
He did say the bill “likely will not pass as written” and described it as more of a “conversation starter.”
A well-attended public hearing on HJR 18 was held Monday evening, and the bill currently is not scheduled for any further committee hearings.
“The Missouri model of conservation is the envy of every other state in the nation. This isn’t something that can be planned for every six or eight years by a vote. It takes generation after generation of hard work and collaboration to continually support our rich outdoor heritages and pass them on to the next group,” said Tyler Schwartze, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, who noted he was “pleased with the number of passionate outdoorspeople that came to testify on behalf of the conservation sales tax. The sales tax that was passed in 1976 was by the citizens, for the citizens, and it was made loud and clear on Monday that citizens want to keep it that way.”
The other bill Missouri sportsmen may be interested in is House Bill 260, sponsored by Rep. Jered Taylor of Christian County. HB 260 has three co-sponsors.
In HB 260, Taylor seeks to substantially increase the fines assessed when someone is convicted of illegally “chasing, pursuing, killing, processing or disposing” of turkeys, paddlefish, bears, deer or elk.
HB 260 stipulates a fine between $500 and $1,000 for poaching turkey and paddlefish.
The fine for poaching a deer would range between $2,000 and $5,000.
Those poaching a bear or elk would be assessed the largest fines ranging between $10,000 and $15,000.
Under the bill, any money collected through fines would be transferred to the state’s school moneys fund and distributed through it to schools across Missouri.
Taylor could not be reached for comment.
HB 260 passed in the House of Representatives on April 18 and was referred to the Senate, where it awaits further action.
Both bills can be read and tracked online at www.house.mo.gov.