Aug. 03, 2023
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Brian Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana) is condemning the Biden Administration’s decision to withhold funding for schools with hunting and archery programs based on its interpretation of a new law. Smith issued the following statement about that decision.
“As a strong Second Amendment supporter, I am equally saddened and outraged by the Biden Administration freezing funding for schools with hunting and archery programs. It represents another attack by the federal government on our constitutional right to bear arms.
“Hunting is not just a hobby here in the 66th Legislative District, it’s a way of life. Some people depend on game as a food source. Others use hunting trips as an important family bonding opportunity. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) was signed by the president last year after a string of mass shootings. Using this law to withhold vital funding from our children’s schools won’t stop mass shooters. In fact, one study points to hunter education training leading to decreases in violent crime. All this decision will do is make it harder to become a legal and responsible gun owner.
“The Biden Administration is holding school children hostage in its fight to tear down our Second Amendment rights. There are legal and moral ways to amend the U.S. Constitution, but please, leave our children out of it.”