Calls needed on park ranger general authority bill

The hearing on House Bill 1321 to give state park rangers general law enforcement authority was just Tuesday morning. But it needs calls now because the last chance for it to come up for a committee vote is Wednesday. 

That’s the last time the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee meets before Monday’s committee deadline for most House bills to pass House committees. The committee meets at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Local 1466 members Don Hall, Jose Velazquez and Brian Yearout testified for HB 1321 because it puts park rangers on an equal footing with other law enforcement professionals who enforce laws. It would allow park rangers to respond to incidents that jeopardize park users, especially in cases where park boundaries are unclear, where there are bisecting roads or immediately adjacent to state parks.

But other law enforcement groups opposed HB 1321, so it needs your help to get it passed. 

CALL TO ACTION ON HB 1321 


So please call the Legislature’s toll-free message hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and leave a message for the members of the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee. Tell them to support HB 1321 granting state park rangers general law enforcement authority.


The members of the committee are: 


Rep. Christopher Hurst of the 31st Dist., the committee chair
Rep. Connie Ladenburg of the 29th Dist.
Rep. Kirk Pearson of the 39th Dist.
Rep. Brad Klippert of the 8th Dist.
Rep. Sherry Appleton of the 23rd Dist.
Rep. Mike Armstrong of the 12th Dist.
Rep. Roger Goodman of the 45th Dist.
Rep. Mike Hope of the 44th Dist.
Rep. Steve Kirby of the 29th Dist.
Rep. Luis Moscoso of the 1st Dist.
Rep. Charles Ross of the 14th Dist.