Legislation Threatens Youth Clay Target Program

The Minnesota State High School Clay Target League is one of Minnesota’s most popular high school sports. With over 12,000 students participating on more than 400 teams, it is a top-ten participation sport and is larger than boys and girls high school hockey combined.

The Minnesota College Athletic Conference and the USA College Clay Target League hosts more than 25 Minnesota colleges in clay target shooting sports. These three leagues are all managed by the USA Clay Target League, a 501(c3) non-profit organization.

Recently, two State Senators introduced a Senate bill to ban lead-based ammunition in Minnesota.

Now, five Minnesota State Representatives have signed on to a similar bill filed in the Minnesota House.

“Youth clay target shooting sports in Minnesota is NOT a public health issue,” said John Nelson, president of the Eagan-based USA Clay Target League, the largest youth clay target shooting sports program in the country. “By specifically targeting youth shooting sports, it becomes clear that this is an attack on a school-approved activity that they don’t like. There are over 70,000 Minnesota students that have participated in the League since 2001 that have never had an accident, never had an injury, despite shooting a shotgun over 100 million times, and that goes contrary to their narrative.”...

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