By Steve Weisman
Outdoor Editor

In late July, a wide range of national news media reported that the U. S. Department of Education was going to withhold critical funds for elementary and secondary schools nationwide with hunting and archery programs in their curriculum.

I was shocked! Throughout the country, this would destroy what so many people across the country felt were excellent programs. I couldn’t believe it. Here in Iowa, the archery and shooting sports have grown unbelievably! Middle school and high school students are excelling in what is a safe environment mentored and coached by adults who have earned accreditation to coach those sports. Coaches teach life skills such as discipline, safety, teamwork, ethics, mental focus, self-discipline and self-confidence. Both junior colleges and four-year institutions have started shooting programs and are offering scholarships. Now here it was in late July, and funding had been permanently cut!

I talked to my wife, and we could not believe just how crazy this decision was! As I researched, I found that the decision was made on their interpretation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which Congress passed, and President Biden signed last year and went into effect in late June of 2022. The BSCA was in response to several recent mass shootings.

Bottom line? That meant that funding for shooting sports that came from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was totally cut!

There was certainly a lot of blowback across the country from students, parents, shooting and outdoor organizations, but at that point, the funding was blocked.

Decision reversed

I learned a long time ago that sometimes decisions are made with good intentions but with miss-directed and bad, sometimes even severe, consequences. That’s what this turned out to be!

However, the collective voice of the American public spoke loud and clear…to legislators from both parties throughout the country. And, yes, it was a profoundly loud outcry, but as we all know, it takes time to reverse something like this. BUT the power of the people is still real, because on Friday, October 6, President Biden signed the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act.

This act effectively protects funding for schools that provide hunter education, archery, shooting sports and other programs. It was definitely bipartisan legislation that reversed a definitely huge mistake! It was a unanimous vote in the Senate and a 424-1 vote in the House.

Sometimes I get so frustrated with the constant division between our two parties. It just seems that they care more about their own party and how they can mess up the other party, but when I see how they came together to right this wrong, it makes me think that maybe, just maybe WE can come together for the betterment of the people and the United States of America on so many other issues like, say, the budget! I certainly hope so!