BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County Rep. Vince Mangold served on the Mississippi House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks committee this legislative session and saw a bill they worked hard on fall short. Two versions of the Turkey Stamp Bill died in conference at the finish line despite strong support from sportsmen and legislators.  

Mangold shared his disappointment in the turkey stamp bill dying late in the session at the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfast last Thursday. 

MDWFP Commissioners urged the legislature to pass a turkey stamp bill last May. Funds would have gone towards improving turkey conservation, habitat work and research. 

“You hate for any of the bills to die. I was hoping for.a passage because money would go back into conservation and habitat renewal,” Mangold said. “We talk a lot at the capitol about the distance turkeys have come in this state. The turkeys were reintroduced thanks to conservation work. I hate it died. It was going to be for habitat conservation.” 

The house version would have required a $10 resident fee and a $100 non-resident fee for the stamp with lifetime license holders exempt. The senate version would have just charged a $200 non-resident fee. Mangold said they had worked out some issues with the bill. 

Early language did not exempt lifetime license holders. Bogue Chitto resident Blake Sasser, a real-estate agent with Southern Oak Properties, reached out to Mangold expressing his issues with the bill regarding lifetime licenses. 

“Blake had concerns for lifetime license holders. I took these concerns to our chairman,” Mangold said. “I told him we had concerns and I explained the situation. Several others said the same thing. We exempted the lifetime licensees.”