Assemblyman Joe Giglio (R, C, I – Gowanda) today co-hosted the first annual “Sportsmen & Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Day” with his fellow members of the Assembly Minority Conference. The event, which focused on protecting the heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping, and other outdoor activities in New York state, was attended by over one thousand sportsmen from across the state.

“Protecting the heritage of our law-abiding gun owners and other outdoor enthusiasts is a worthwhile fight. When I saw such an overwhelming turnout at today’s event, it was evident that sportsmen from across the state are fed up with the legislation pushed by the downstate Assembly leadership that does everything from increasing fees on hunting and fishing licenses, to imposing further restrictions on law-abiding citizens’ right to bear arms,” said Giglio.

Giglio also stressed the importance of outdoor recreation to the state’s economy.

“There are 1.2 million resident sportsmen in our state that help contribute more than $6.22 billion annually to the state’s economy. Given the state’s current fiscal crisis, we should embrace outdoor recreation as an economic incubator to help stimulate our state’s economy instead of imposing further burdensome legislation that will lead to its demise,” said Giglio.

Speakers at today’s event included National Rifle Association (NRA) Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Wayne LaPierre; New York State Rifle & Pistol Association President, Tom King; Shooter’s Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) of New York President, Ken Mathison; and Safari Club International President, Larry Rudolph.