{"id":2294006,"date":"2024-07-13T11:45:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-13T15:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/game-commission-puts-itself-in-political-peril-hunting-lobbyist-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-13T11:47:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-13T15:47:21","slug":"game-commission-puts-itself-in-political-peril-hunting-lobbyist-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/game-commission-puts-itself-in-political-peril-hunting-lobbyist-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Game Commission puts itself \u2018in political peril\u2019: Hunting lobbyist &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgame-commission-puts-itself-in-political-peril-hunting-lobbyist-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2294006&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>He commission as a whole \u2014 it&#8217;s sitting to the left butting up against the right of\u200d sportsmen \u2014 standing\u2063 there commission \u200das \u2063a whole, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-to-become-the-nations-gold-standard-for-school-choice-passing-universal-bill-for-one-million-students\/\" title=\"Arizona To Become The Nation\u2019s \u2018Gold Standard For School Choice,\u2019 Passing Universal Bill For One Million Students\u00a0\u00a0\">putting money back<\/a> in the game fund, maybe not \u2064all of it,\u2064 but if it doesn&#8217;t have a \u2062plan for all of it, at least\u200c make a motion to put half of it back in the game fund,\u201d Kriner said. \u201cAnd it&#8217;s a pathway to\u2062 hit the reset button \u2014 necessary, being a trade-off. &#8230; The failure to recognize\u2062 the &#8216;writing on\u2064 the wall&#8217; is unacceptable &#8230; adopting the recommendations here could put the commission back on track; failing to move the funding \u2063back from $350 [million] would be disastrous for the sportsmen&#8217;s organization as a whole. GOD \u200cHELP YOU and all the sportsmen \u200din the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/span>  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Game Commission puts itself \u2018in political peril\u2019: Hunting lobbyist<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/anthony-hennen-the-center-square-2\/\">Anthony Hennen | The Center Square<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-13T11:27:02-04:00\">July 13, 2024 11:27 am<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1701233\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) \u2014 Months after an abrupt resignation at the Pennsylvania Game Commission led to the swift appointment of a new executive director, those invested in the agency\u2019s future told its leaders to heed warning signs and improve their communication with the public.<\/p>\n<p>During the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-canvassers-rescind-their-votes-to-certify-wayne-county-michigan-results\/\" title=\"Republican Canvassers Rescind Their Votes to Certify Wayne County, Michigan, Results\">public comment period<\/a> of the commission\u2019s meeting on Friday, hunters aired their <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_53f69266-7a67-11ed-ac58-6f82a35cd072.html\">long-standing complaints<\/a><\/strong> about Sunday hunting, advice on improving land acquisitions and game lands, and ideas for better management.<\/p>\n<p>But they also brought a warning about the future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe game commission has some of the finest personnel, most of them sitting here today, that I\u2019ve worked with ever since starting in the Capitol in 1991,\u201d said Mike Kriner, a lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen &#038; Conservationists. \u201cIt pains me to deliver the message I\u2019m gonna deliver: The political missteps \u2014 by both the commission and the commissioners \u2014 continues to put the commission in political peril. The political strategy has been absolutely terrible and, quite honestly, I\u2019m getting tired of repeating this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kriner warned commissioners of three problems: the lack of a plan for what to do with $500 million in the game fund (which led to the Senate passing a bill to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.centredaily.com\/sports\/outdoors\/article279918714.html\">transfer $150 million<\/a><\/strong> from the game fund to the Clean Streams Fund); a failure to \u201chit the reset button\u201d with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_af8d9fd8-076b-11ef-bf15-237ee6e435a0.html\">the resignation of former Executive Director Bryan Burhans<\/a><\/strong>; and poor overall communication that hinders hunters\u2019 and environmental groups\u2019 efforts to assist the commission.<\/p>\n<p>Inaction has hampered the PGC, he argued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was not the commission or the board that put up the political fight to block (the $150 million transfer) \u2014 it was the NGOs, some folks in the audience here, and the House members who helped to defend the game fund,\u201d Kriner said.<\/p>\n<p>The commission\u2019s stasis led to a \u201chorrendous\u201d Senate committee hearing in February, he said, where \u201cthe word \u2018takeover\u2019 was mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That hearing featured senators grilling the commission over <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_48fe2010-d595-11ee-a8b9-bb778ba91386.html\">their choice to hire a lobbyist<\/a>,<\/strong> along with concerns about lackluster payments in lieu of taxes. By May, House members were <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_a23fdbf4-0994-11ef-ab8c-fb2de6330fa6.html\">calling for a \u201creckoning\u201d<\/a><\/strong> within the commission; Rep. David Maloney, R-Boyertown, warned of \u201ca culture of personal pet projects and vendettas against anyone daring to speak out\u201d within the PGC.<\/p>\n<p>When the commission appointed Steve Smith as executive director in May, Maloney <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pahousegop.com\/News\/34145\/Latest-News\/Stephen-Smith-is-Not-the-Legitimate-Executive-Director-of-the-PA-Game-Commission,-Maloney-Says-\">called the appointment<\/a><\/strong> \u201ca violation of state law;\u201d within days, the PGC then <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_f8d0bad6-19fe-11ef-852c-03a7f511df04.html\">called a 10-minute meeting<\/a><\/strong> to vote Smith as the agency\u2019s top official.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Steve personally is a wonderful guy, but the commission missed the mark on this,\u201d Kriner said. \u201cBy putting in an acting title for just a period of time \u2014 even if you were intending to hire him eventually \u2014 would\u2019ve given Steve the benefit of not having a bull\u2019s-eye on his back as he has had every day in the Capitol since \u2026 it was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/noems-colorado-fundraiser-canceled-due-to-threats-over-deadly-dog-story\/\" title=\"Noem&#039;s Colorado fundraiser called off due to threats related to lethal dog incident\">terrible political mistake<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The result has been <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_f8d0bad6-19fe-11ef-852c-03a7f511df04.html\">House Bill 2314 advancing<\/a><\/strong>, which would make the game fund subject to an annual review and classify it as an appropriation from the General Assembly \u2014 a dramatic restraint on independence for the PGC. The commission is not funded with tax dollars, but with hunters\u2019 fees, license sales, and oil &#038; gas royalties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would view that as a shot across the bow,\u201d Kriner said. \u201cEvery session, there\u2019s 6,000 bills that are introduced. None of them work and get through a committee process within a 30-day period of time. That bill did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also warned the commissioners that they miss an opportunity by not responding to comments or questions during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/publisher-halts-best-selling-book-after-sexual-misconduct-claims-suddenly-surface-against-author\/\" title=\"Publisher Halts Best-Selling Book After Sexual Misconduct Claims Suddenly Surface Against Author\">public comment section<\/a> of the commissioners meeting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to be in lockstep with you, but we don\u2019t have anything to know what we\u2019re standing behind, and I think it\u2019s irresponsible of the board for that,\u201d Kriner said.<\/p>\n<p>After his public comments, Kriner repeated the need, as he saw it, for more communication and collaboration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe as a group, as conservationists across the state, wildlife people, let\u2019s get together and talk about what we\u2019re seeing,\u201d he said. \u201cThe more that the commissioners can be in front of elected officials and talk about these things, that\u2019s healthy \u2026\u00a0 there\u2019s a lot of things happening at the commission that are really, really good, but it gets down to communication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1701233\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1701233\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pennsylvania Game Commission is facing political challenges and criticism from hunters and environmental groups, who are urging the agency to improve communication and address issues such as the management of funds and land acquisitions. Lobbyist Mike Kriner warned the commission of political missteps and the need for better planning and communication to avoid further political peril. He also criticized the commission for its handling of the appointment of a new executive director and lack of responsiveness to public comments. Kriner emphasized the importance of collaboration and communication to address the agency&#8217;s challenges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2294007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP23320565937296-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34903,34905,34904],"class_list":["post-2294006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-game-commission","tag-hunting-lobbyist","tag-political-peril"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP23320565937296-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2294006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2294006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2294006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2294007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2294006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2294006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2294006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}