Kittanning Borough Police Chief Ed Cassesse testifies before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee during a July 6 public hearing in Freeport regarding House Bill 1289, a bill that would enhance offender penalties if methamphetamine drugs are exchanged in the presence of a minor. Rep. Pyle was the prime sponsor for the bill - which passed unanimously across the entire PA House of Representatives earlier this month - after discussion with Cassesse. (KP File Photo)
The House of Representatives today voted overwhelmingly to approve House Bill 881, legislation authored by Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-Ford City) that would help reduce the instances of hunters losing wounded game animals.
The measure simply permits hunters to use a leashed tracking dog to locate a wounded large game animal (whitetail deer or black bear) if needed in order to conserve Pennsylvania’s wild resources and to ensure the animal does not suffer needlessly.
“The idea for this legislation came from my constituent, Susan Edwards of Buffalo Township, who was concerned about the wasted resources resulting from game animals that are wounded but never found by the hunter,” Pyle said. “It also helps make certain our game is harvested humanely.”
Pyle noted that a bill developed in similar fashion to allow judges, at their discretion, to hand down enhanced penalties for people who produce or sell drugs in front of children garnered unanimous passage in the House on May 8.
The impetus for that measure, House Bill 1289, came from discussions with Kittanning Borough Police Chief Ed Cassesse after serving warrants on several drug raids involving methamphetamine labs in houses with children living in them.
“As a conservative, I do not believe the measure of a successful Legislature is passing a slew of new laws every session, because that inevitably takes freedoms away,” Pyle said. “Many of the ideas for commonsense legislation are simple measures that come from people I talk to every day. They identify a problem that I can help them with and I do it. I think that is what being a citizen legislator means.”