It’s time for the Commonwealth of Virginia, my adopted home state, to repeal antiquated blue laws prohibiting public land hunting on Sundays.
Not only are they outdated, they go against the very principles inset in the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. One of its seven principles, the democracy of hunting, stipulates the government must allocate “access to wildlife without regard for wealth, prestige, or land ownership.”
The Virginia General Assembly will convene on January 13th for the 2021 legislative session to deliberate, among many bills, House Bill 1799 to undo these prohibitions.
Lawmakers will have until February 27th to advance or pass on the bill.
With more Americans, including Virginians, going hunting in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, this bill can remedy outstanding issues that impede public land access here in our state.