West Virginia Crossbow Legislation for the Physically Challenged

[TF118]

If possible, I would greatly appreciate your assistance by e-mailing or calling members of the West Virginia State Senate asking for their support of House Bill #4282, which will authorize crossbow hunting for the physically challenged.


If House Bill #4282 is passed by the Senate, all that is needed is for the Governor to sign the Bill into Law.



Presently 9 states out of fifty do not permit crossbow use by the physically challenged during the archery season. West Virginia is one of the 9 states that do not permit crossbow use by the physically challenged during the archery season.



Please find listed a copy of a letter you can use to contact the senators.



You can copy and paste it.



Please remember to fill in the Senator's last name as well as your name and contact information.



This is only a sample and you may use your own letter if you wish.



A list of the Senators' contact information is listed at the end of this e-mail.

Thank you for attention and assistance concerning this matter.



If you have any questions and/or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.



PETE CUFFARO

102 Hunters Ridge Road

Wheeling, West Virginia 26003

(304) 242-0405 (Home)

wastemanagement45@comcast.net



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TODAY'S DATE HERE





The Honorable ___________________________________

Member, West Virginia Senate

Building 1, Room #________________

State Capitol Complex

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Charleston, WV 25305



Dear Senator ____________________________________:



RE: House Bill #4282

Authorization of Crossbow Hunting for Disabled Persons



Presently, the State of West Virginia prohibits the use of crossbows for hunting by the physically challenged during the archery season.



There are four reasonable accessories that permit the physically challenged archer to participate as an equal in the archery season. These four accessories are the “mouth tab”, “body brace”, “draw lock” and the “crossbow”. Just as one device alone is not best suited to meet all the needs of each individual’s physical disability, the “mouth tab”, “body brace” and “draw lock”, as allowed by State of West Virginia, meets the needs of some physically challenged hunters, while completely missing the mark for others. The State of West Virginia should permit physically challenged hunters to utilize any one of the four reasonable accommodations that best fits their individual disability. This decision should solely be left up to the physically challenged hunter. This decision should not be dictated by an individual or individuals who do not have the disability possessed by the physically challenged hunter seeking a device that most suits his or her individual requirements. Remember that no two individuals are alike and neither are their disabilities.



Denying the physically challenged hunter the opportunity to use the one accommodation that best suits his or her disability, in this case a crossbow, is cruel and demoralizing as well as discriminatory. This denial often forces a physically challenged individual to abandon his or her enjoyment and/or hope of hunting. The physically challenged individual is also being denied the opportunity of utilizing a State program in which he or she supports through both State and Federal Taxation.



Some of the objections you will hear concerning the use of crossbows for the physically challenged by others will be as follows:



1. Crossbows are not bows

2. Crossbows will decimate our deer herds

3. Crossbow use will force archery season to shorten

4. Crossbows are the weapon of poachers

5. Crossbow hunters are less ethical than longbow hunters

6. Crossbows are not a primitive weapon

7. Crossbows do not meet our (State's) hand held requirements

8. Our state policies and procedures do not permit crossbow use

9. Our State presently provides enough accommodations for disabled hunters



States have a right to prohibit an archer who can physically use a standard bow to use a crossbow during the archery season. However, they (states) do not have a right to disallow crossbow use if that is the one reasonable accommodation that serves to make a physically challenged archer an equal participant in that season. By not permitting a crossbow accommodation for the physically challenged, the State of West Virginia is denying them (the physically challenged) the right to participate in their (West Virginia’s) archery season. Please note that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against the physically challenged.



Presently, 9 States do not permit crossbow use by the physically challenged in their state archery seasons. These states include:



1. West Virginia

2. California

3. Montana

4. New Mexico

5. New York

6. Nevada

7. Oregon

8. Rhode Island

9. Washington



When reviewing the above list of states, my question is, “What do the other 41 states know that the states of West Virginia, California, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington do not know when it comes to permitting crossbows for the physically challenged during their archery seasons?”



As of October the 20, 2003, the State of West Virginia has issued 527 Modified Bow Permits. The estimated number of licensed bowhunters in the State of West Virginia is 165,458. If these 527 Modified Bow Permit Holders would qualify for a crossbow permit, the percentage of Physically Challenged Crossbow Permit Holders to licensed bowhunters would be 0.31% (527/165,458). Not even a full percentage point. The percentage of Physically Challenged Crossbow Permit Holders to the number of licensed hunters in the State of West Virginia would be 0.15% (527/347,368). Please note that an Archery Stamp (Class U), is not needed for a Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing License (Class X) for ages 18 through 64. An Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class U) must be accompanied by a Class A or Q license. In the Year 2002, 41,118 Class U stamps were issued by the State of West Virginia. But, this is not a reflection on the number of total licensed archers in the State of West Virginia. To determine the number of total licensed archers in the State of West Virginia, the total number of a Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing Licenses (Class X) for ages 18 through 64 must be accounted for due to Class X license holders being licensed to participate in the West Virginia Archery Season.



In closing, I would like to thank you for affording me the opportunity to address you on this issue. I ask that you please consider the use of crossbows by the physically challenged during the West Virginia Archery Season by supporting House Bill 4282. It is my hope that physically challenged hunters are granted the right to decide for themselves what accommodation best meets their needs to participate in the West Virginia Archery Season and that this decision not be decided for them by able-bodied individuals who do not possess a disability.



With much appreciation, I am



Sincerely,



YOUR NAME HERE IN ALL CAPS



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West Virginia State Senator's Contact Information:





Bailey, Billy Wayne
E-mail Address(es): bwbailey@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #214W
Phone: (304) 357-7807 (State Capitol Office)



Boley, Donna J.
E-mail Address(es): donnaboley@charter.net
Office #213W
Phone: (304) 357-7905 (State Capitol Office)



Bowman, Ed
E-mail Address(es): jwazell1@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #214W
Phone: (304) 357-7918 (State Capitol Office)

Caldwell, Anita Skeens
E-mail Address(es): ascaldwe@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #229W
Phone: (304) 357-7957 (State Capitol Office)



Chafin, H. Truman
E-mail Address(es): htchafin@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #223M
Phone: (304) 357-7808 (State Capitol Office)



Deem, Frank
E-mail Address(es): fdeem@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #217W
Phone: (304) 357-7970 (State Capitol Office)



Dempsey, Tracy
E-mail Address(es): tracyd@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #206W
Phone: (304) 357-7939 (State Capitol Office)



Edgell, Larry J.
E-mail Address(es): edgell@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #413M
Phone: (304) 357-7827 (State Capitol Office)



Facemyer, Karen L.
E-mail Address(es): kfacemyr@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #218W
Phone: (304) 357-7855 (State Capitol Office)





Fanning, John Pat ---> Chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee ---> No e-mail address
Office #218W
Phone: (304) 357-7867 (State Capitol Office)



The Honorable John Pat Fanning

Member, West Virginia Senate

Building 1, Room #218W

State Capitol Complex

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Charleston, WV 25305





Guills, Jesse O.
E-mail Address(es): jguills@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #200W
Phone: (304) 357-7959 (State Capitol Office)



Harrison, Steve
E-mail Address(es): stevehar@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #200W
Phone: (304) 357-7841 (State Capitol Office)



Helmick, Walt
E-mail Address(es): whelmick@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #465M
Phone: (304) 357-7980 (State Capitol Office)



Hunter, Jon Blair
E-mail Address(es): senhunter@mountain.net
Office #223W
Phone: (304) 357-7995 (State Capitol Office)



Jenkins, Evan H.
E-mail Address(es): ejenkins@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #216W
Phone: (304) 357-7956 (State Capitol Office)



Kessler, Jeffrey V.
E-mail Address(es): senjvk1@aol.com
Office #210W
Phone: (304) 357-7880 (State Capitol Office)



Love, Shirley
E-mail Address(es): shlove@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #205W
Phone: (304) 357-7849 (State Capitol Office)



McCabe, Brooks
E-mail Address(es): brmccabe@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #441M
Phone: (304) 357-7990 (State Capitol Office)



McKenzie, Andy
E-mail Address(es): senatormckenzie@aol.com
Office #209W
Phone: (304) 357-7984 (State Capitol Office)



Minard, Joseph M.
E-mail Address(es): jminard@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #204W
Phone: (304) 357-7904 (State Capitol Office)



Minear, Sarah M.
E-mail Address(es): smminear@aol.com
Office #441M
Phone: (304) 357-7914 (State Capitol Office)



Oliverio II, Michael
E-mail Address(es): oliverio@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #209W
Phone: (304) 357-7919 (State Capitol Office)



Plymale, Robert H.
E-mail Address(es): grays@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #415M
Phone: (304) 357-7937 (State Capitol Office)



Prezioso, Roman
E-mail Address(es): elsheikh@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #439M
Phone: (304) 357-7961 (State Capitol Office)



Ross, Mike
E-mail Address(es): mross@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #203W
Phone: (304) 357-7973 (State Capitol Office)



Rowe, Larry L.
E-mail Address(es): larrylrowe@larrylrowe.com
Office #217W
Phone: (304) 357-7854 (State Capitol Office)





Sharpe, Jr., William R. ---> No e-mail address ---> Fax or mail
Office #206W
Phone: (304) 357-7845 (State Capitol Office)
Fax: (304) 357-7944



The Honorable William R. Sharpe, Jr.

Member, West Virginia Senate

Building 1, Room #206W

State Capitol Complex

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Charleston, WV 25305





Smith, Lisa D.
E-mail Address(es): lisa@lisasmith.com
Office #213W
Phone: (304) 357-7843 (State Capitol Office)



Snyder, Herb
E-mail Address(es): hbsnyder@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #223W
Phone: (304) 357-7866 (State Capitol Office)



Sprouse, Vic
E-mail Address(es): vic@vicsprouse.com
Office #245M
Phone: (304) 357-7901 (State Capitol Office)



Tomblin, Earl Ray ---> State Senate President
E-mail Address(es): spres@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #227M
Phone: (304) 357-7801 (State Capitol Office)



Unger II, John
E-mail Address(es): unger@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #216W
Phone: (304) 357-7933 (State Capitol Office)



Weeks, Russ
E-mail Address(es): rweeks@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #229W
Phone: (304) 357-7831 (State Capitol Office)



White, Randy
E-mail Address(es): crwhite@mail.wvnet.edu
Office #204W
Phone: (304) 357-7906 (State Capitol Office)