Legislative Update

Last week (November 12) in Helena, legislative leadership was elected for the Montana House of Representatives, where I serve. Brandon Ler was elected Speaker of the House, Steve Fitzpatrick was elected as House Majority Leader and Katie Zolnikov was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore. Within two days after that, House leadership made their committee assignments. I was selected to serve as Chairman of the House Taxation Committee again in the 2025 legislative session. I was also assigned to the House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee, Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee and the Rules Committee. I served on those 4 committees last session.

Today, November 21, I was selected to one of the 12 positions on the Executive Council of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC). As you can see in the excerpts below from their website, the Executive Council of the NASC provides advice and counsel to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and the state caucuses. I have been a Co-Chair of the Montana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. I do consider it a high honor to be selected for one of the 12 positions on this national Executive Council where I can continue to use my background as a fish and wildlife biologist to represent sportsmen’s interests in Montana and the United States.

Rep. Paul C. Fielder, Thompson Falls

Role of the Executive Council: The NASC program is guided by an Executive Council (EC) comprised of state sportsmen’s caucus leaders who are dedicated to advancing the goals of the program. Elected by their colleagues in state caucuses from across the country, EC members assist with NASC program administration, policy development, sportsmen’s community engagement, and media outreach intended to highlight the role that hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping play in supporting conservation policies that also benefit our nation’s social and economic wellbeing. According to the NASC Executive Council Guidelines, the EC was “established to provide advice and counsel to the CSF/NASC, to assist with the establishment and promotion of pro-sportsmen ideas as well as facilitate sharing information between state caucuses, conservation partners and allied industry, and ensure NASC provides the best service possible to the individual state caucuses.”