South Dakota's Sen John Thune, R-S.D., didn't get the lead out, but kept it in.
Thune, co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, announced Wednesday that the omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015 includes an provision championed by Thune preventing the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating lead in ammunition and fishing tackle for one year.
"This is a big win for sportsmen and women in our state," Thune said. "If the EPA bans lead in ammunition and fishing tackle, it would dramatically increase the cost, making hunting and fishing unaffordable for many enthusiasts."
Thune said the one-year ban provides some reprieve to sportsmen and women around the country while giving the Senate time to take up his bill to permanently ban the EPA from regulating ammo and tackle.
"It is important we ensure that future generations of South Dakotans are not unnecessarily restricted from hunting, fishing, and enjoying the great outdoors," Thune said.
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Thune introduced the Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act in the Senate with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in September 2013. This legislation would permanently exclude ammunition and fishing tackle from regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act, leaving the oversight to the relevant state agencies, which currently regulate ammunition and fishing tackle.
