Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts brought their support for lower firearm licensing fees to the State House yesterday, arguing that cutting the $100 fee in half would promote land preservation, help get kids outdoors through hunting trips and help maintain a balanced ecosystem.
"Sportsmen are true environmentalists," said Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre, sponsor of the bill.
Brewer told the Public Safety Committee that a decline in hunting would be halted if firearm licenses were more affordable.
There were a total of 1.5 million licenses in 1998 but that number has dropped to about 250,000 licenses, a reduction of 85 percent, according to Jimmy Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners Action League.
On the decline in licenses, Wallace asked, "Is it because it costs too much? Is it because people don't understand the laws?"
Wallace said Massachusetts' six-year gun licenses are the priciest in New England. Rhode Island comes in at a far-off second place with firearm licenses costing $40. Rhode Island licenses are good for four years.
Last year Gov. Deval Patrick tried to increase the licensing fee from $100 to $200, which angered gun rights advocates. The legislation failed.
Brewer said that it is important to get kids outdoors and to teach them about hunting and fishing. Echoing his own statement from last year's licensing debate, Brewer said, "If a kid is out hunting and fishing then he is not doing crack cocaine down on Main Street."
Supporters of Brewer's bill included Joseph Dembek, a member of the Otter River Sportsmen Club in Templeton, which sponsors youth education on archery, gunning, rifle range practice and other outdoor activities. Dembek said some who go through the program often find that they can't afford a gun license. The problem is even greater for families with several siblings.
"To get the $100 together is almost impossible," he said.
Dembek would like to see the license fee reduced to $25 for children or, better still, to exempt youths from paying for a license until they are out of high school.
"I want to give kids a break," said Dembek.
Also in support of youth outdoorsmanship, state Rep. Anne Gobi, D-Spencer, suggested at the hearing that kids between the ages of 12 and 17 could hunt without a gun license as long as they are under direct supervision of someone with a license.
Aside from a reduced license fee benefiting children, Brewer said more hunters would have the means to help control the wildlife population so that professional hunters would not be needed to reduce animal populations, such as deer, that may get out of hand.
Supporters of the initiative contend that lowering the fee would actually generate more money because more people would want the license.
State Sen. James Timilty, D-Walpole, committee co-chairman, said some of the money from licensing fees goes toward land preservation and probably does more in this area than any other program in place.
No one testified against the bill.
The committee also took up a proposal from state Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, to remove pepper spray from the list of weapons requiring a license.
Brown, who did not attend the hearing, wrote to the committee that he believes obtaining a firearms identification card for pepper spray, "creates an unnecessary obstacle for our residents to protect themselves, and adds an extra layer of bureaucracy."
Brewer agreed. "Many joggers and many people that can be in areas that, frankly, are scary, I think they ought to have access to responsible use of pepper spray," he said.
