Hunting fees won't be raised

A bill that would have increased hunting and trapping fees in Maryland was defeated on the House floor Monday evening after a spirited floor debate.

Members of the House GOP, who are vastly outnumbered in the chamber, cheered when the red votes when up on the board. "We shot the hunting lic fee increase bill DEAD!" tweeted Del. Kathy Szeliga, a Republican who represents Baltimore and Harford counties. "We won one," tweeted Del. Justin Ready, of Baltimore and Carroll counties.

The legislation that came to the floor would have increased a resident hunting fee from $25 to $40. The trapping license would have gone from $25.50 to $40.

The fees sparked anger from hunters when they were first proposed by the Department of Natural Resources earlier this year. The O'Malley Administration scaled back the proposal -- but the move was not enough to tamp down opposition.

The bill was defeated 62 to 69 -- nine votes shy of passage.