Sunday ban on hunting should be lifted
Hunting has long been an important part of Pennsylvania’s great heritage, and as governor, I will respect hunters’ Second Amendment rights and work to provide safe, ready access to hunting in Pennsylvania. With deer-hunting season underway, I have a two-point proposal to enhance our status as a commonwealth for sportsmen.
Pennsylvania remains one of just 11 states that prohibit most hunting on Sundays, even though it is one of the most important, active hunting states in the nation. As governor, I will work with the General Assembly to lift the Sunday ban.
Sportsmen who work full-time jobs should have this opportunity to participate in the sport they love.
I will allow the experts at the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who have earned the trust of the hunting community, to determine the exact seasons and regulations for hunting all types of game. This will include making determinations on Sunday hunting, starting with the rifle deer season.
Pennsylvania also has a rich tradition of neighbors helping neighbors. I want to build upon the success of Pennsylvania’s Hunters Sharing the Harvest program, through which our state’s hunting community has already become a national leader in the donation of venison to help feed the hungry. Important to the success of this program have been meat processors, who donate their services at a personal cost of around $50-$70 per deer processed.
Therefore, I am proposing a $50 tax credit for processors who donate their services to this important initiative. This tax credit will help strengthen an already successful program and reach more Pennsylvanians in need.
Pennsylvania has a rich tradition as a hunting state that we should protect and build upon, and as governor, I will work with the hunting community to enact policies that enhance that reputation and tradition.
Allyson Schwartz is a Democratic congresswoman from the Philadelphia area and previously served in the Pennsylvania State Senate. She is a Democratic candidate for governor.