Senate unanimously approves Jackson veteran moose-hunting bill

AUGUSTA— The Maine Senate unanimously approved a bill from Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash to increase veteran participation in moose hunting in an initial vote on Tuesday. The bill – LD 708, “An Act To Expand Maine’s Moose Lottery To Benefit Wounded Service Members and Veterans” – would allow Mainers participating in the moose permit lottery to donate their permit to a wounded service member or veteran should they be selected in the public chance drawing.

“This is a simple bill. It’s about making sure more Maine veterans can enjoy a beloved pastime,” said President Jackson. “It’s just another way to say thank you to the men and women who have served this country.”

LD 708 would allow individuals applying for the moose permit lottery to indicate on their application whether or not they intend to donate their permit to a veteran should they be selected. Under this bill, applicants could identify a specific veteran for the moose hunting permit to go to or allow the commissioner to randomly draw the name of a wounded service member or a veteran from the list already maintained by the commissioner.

The bill received unanimous support from the Committee on Inland, Fisheries and Wildlife. It will now go before the House for additional votes before returning to the Senate.

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