Senate Concurrent Resolution 70

By Senator Takubo

[Introduced March 12, 2016]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the economic impact of allowing hunting on Sundays and how doing so would affect the economy in West Virginia.

Whereas, The Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to conduct a study on the economic impact of permitting Sunday hunting on private property with a landowner’s written permission and on State and National forests and Wildlife Management Areas; and

Whereas, Sunday hunting is a personal property rights issue, as permitting Sunday hunting allows for individual property owners to choose whether to allow Sunday hunting on their property rather than the voters of a county; and

Whereas, West Virginia is one of only eight states left in the nation that doesn’t allow Sunday hunting in all counties; and

Whereas, West Virginia seeks to attract families and sportsmen to our wonderful state; and

Whereas, The surrounding states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia currently allow for Sunday hunting, incentivizing most sportsmen and women who have limited time to hunt during the week to visit these surrounding states instead of West Virginia; and

Whereas, Removing the ban on Sunday hunting would add approximately twenty-five total weekend days for both resident and nonresidents to hunt all types of wild game and allow an extra weekend day on which to hunt, allowing nonresidents to make full weekend hunting trips to West Virginia; and

Whereas, Lifting the ban on Sunday hunting would make West Virginia a destination hunting state; and

Whereas, West Virginia could see a real economic impact from removing the ban on Sunday hunting in all counties. It is estimated that allowing Sunday hunting in all counties could result in millions of dollars of increased payrolls and tax revenue; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the economic impact of allowing hunting on Sundays and how doing so would affect the economy in West Virginia; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the Regular Session of the Legislature, 2017, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.