Montana hunters: Dennis Rehberg is ‘no friend’

Opening Day a reminder of Congressman’s failures to stand up for outdoorsmen

BOZEMAN, Mont.—Today is the first day of hunting season for thousands of Montanans, and a reminder that Congressman Dennis Rehberg has failed to stand up for Montana’s outdoor heritage.

Rehberg’s unpopular H.R. 1505, described by Libertarian candidate Dan Cox as a “police state bill,” gives the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “unprecedented power” to seize control of public lands in Montana and make top-down decisions about the state’s best places to fish and hunt.

Thousands of Montana sportsmen and women would have been forced to give up their right to fish and hunt on public lands if Rehberg passed his controversial plan to sell off prime public land to wealthy private owners for rock-bottom prices.

Rehberg drew outrage from dozens of Montana hunting and fishing organizations, including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, when he pushed an unpopular plan to open millions of acres of Montana’s best big game backcountry to road-building and development.

Unlike Rehberg, Montana farmer Jon Tester has a proven record of protecting Montana’s outdoor heritage and Second Amendment rights.  Tester recently advanced his bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 through the U.S. Senate to strengthen hunting and fishing opportunities across Montana.

As chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Tester has earned straight-A ratings from the National Rifle Association and the title “Legislator of the Year” by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

“Montana’s sportsmen and women are fortunate to have an advocate like Jon Tester protecting our access to public lands and our gun rights,” said Mike Penfold, Chairman of Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Tester. “I cringe when Dennis Rehberg claims he’s a friend to hunters—no friend of mine would repeatedly attempt to pass bills that would seriously hurt Montana’s hunting heritage.

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