Aiming for dollars

The sportsmen's caucus
raises cash for the outdoors

You could call Hinsdale native Tom Mansfield an avid hunter. Over a dozen years, he's bagged some 60 deer. He tracks turkey. He's traveled to New Mexico in search of elk.

That's a record most sportsmen would envy. What's more impressive, though, is that Mansfield hunts at all. Nearly 30 years ago, he broke his neck in an automobile accident, which left him without the use of his legs and limited use of his arms. Yet with the help of his wife and "some strong friends," Mansfield took up hunting again.

Inspired by stories like this, some Illinois lawmakers decided to help, too. And this spring, the Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus raised about $14,000 at its annual fundraiser, with most of those dollars going toward state programs that offer hunting and fishing opportunities to Illinoisans with disabilities.

But supporting programs for disabled hunters is only the latest effort by the General Assembly's largest caucus. Its members backed environmental license plates for conservation. And they helped push Conservation 2000 for preservation and protection of Illinois' watersheds.

This spring, they worked to repeal a state law that authorizes for-profit wilderness "outfitters" to buy and sell Illinois hunting and fishing licenses. Opponents of the law, approved last year, feared it would give an edge to out-of-staters who want the coveted permits. The proposed change, which would guarantee Illinois sportsmen first dibs on the licenses, was sponsored by Rep. Joel Brunsvold, a Milan Democrat, and Sen. Robert Madigan, a Lincoln Republican.

Brunsvold and Madigan, old hands in the caucus, reflect the group's broad appeal. Like other legislative interest groups, this caucus reaches across party and regional lines and into both chambers. But at 115 members, it encompasses nearly two-thirds of Illinois' diverse legislature, giving it the potential for the furthest political reach.

Despite its size, though, the Sportsmen's Caucus has managed to garner little attention beyond the Statehouse. Its members seem to like it that way. One after another, they stress their group is apolitical, meaning they take no position on issues beyond a general mission to support outdoor activities.

There's a practical reason for toeing this fine line. Or ignoring it. "Once you start telling people how to vote," Brunsvold says, "that's the end of your caucus."

Indeed, the members don't agree on the most controversial subject touching on their collective interests: access to guns. That became clear during last winter's debate over the Safe Neighborhoods Act. The state's high court had bounced the law off the books, and Senate President James "Pate" Philip, a caucus member, led the charge against reinstituting a first-offense felony penalty for illegally transporting a firearm. He argued the penalty could ensnare otherwise law-abiding hunters. But many other caucus members strongly favored the felony provision. In fact, 69 caucus members voted last December to make the offense a felony, while 37 voted no.

This spring, lawmakers and the governor settled on a compromise. Hunters transporting a loaded gun, or one that could be loaded quickly, wouldn't necessarily face a felony conviction on the first offense.

Most issues of interest to the Sportsmen's Caucus aren't as controversial. Members will tell you that raising money is the group's primary objective. Each year, the caucus hosts a fundraiser to benefit the Conservation Foundation, an organization that raises money to supplement the Department of Natural Resources' budget.

Conservation Foundation director John Schmitt says those donations pay for programs that couldn't exist otherwise. Since 1995, the caucus has given the foundation more than $66,000. In previous years, those dollars have helped to pay for kids' fishing days and conservation and education programs for youth.

What's more, similar efforts are underway all over the country. There is a legislative sportsmen's caucus in all 50 states and on Capitol Hill. Credit goes to Tennessee state Rep. Harley E. Bittle. In 1991, the Knoxville Republican founded the National Association of Sportsmen

Illinois Issues May 2000 | 28