Repeal the AIS Test & trailer Sticker Law

Previous thread: http://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/2015-boat-registration-wtrailer-decal-notice/

Hello ALL:

Great News, we have a House Bill already, waiting on word from the Senate side.

Please call or write your State Senator and Representative and urge them to support Minnesota house File #50
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF50&version=0&session_year=2015&session_number=0&format=pdf

Check out the activity on our facebook page, we have almost 3,200 likes in 1-1/2 weeks.
Sample Letters and Links to contact your elected officials.

I am confident this will be repealed, but your voices will help get it done. I sent out 8-email letters and within an hour had replies from 2-Representatives. Should be more tomorrow.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Repeal-MN-Statute-86B13/1593672207529357

The MN Outdoor News published an article today:

http://www.outdoornews.com/January-2015/One-of-Minnesota-State-Legislatures-first-orders-of-business-Repeal-AIS-training-law/

Great news!
I just read this and made my first calls. As being late in the day no contact except voice mail. Left my support for the bill and asking for a call back, I know I’ll get one back with Ixm sure with a yes vote as from my what I gather from earlier conversations last year.
Thank you Carroll58 for your work and others who made an effort against this bill.

I’ll be calling them again along with non legislators to get the word out.

More great NEWS this afternoon.

We have a State Senator who will be filing the Senate companion to H.F. #50 on Monday.

Yes, Now your phone calls and emails are more important than ever. The Ball is rolling and picking up steam.

We’ve also got support from a number of other groups such as the Minnesota Resorts and Campgrounds owners, along with some Wake Board & Water Ski groups.

Calls to Sports Talks shows such as Outdoor Ticket, Bear Facts and Fish Tales will also generate support.

Hey ALL,

Yes, I know it’s hard water season, but soon the soft water season will be back and we need your support by phone calls, letters and emails now.

May is too late, the Legislature is in session now!

Which Senator is authoring the bill Carroll?

BK,

We got 2-State Senators as authoring the Senate Bill #85
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF85&b=senate&y=2015&ssn=0

Senator Jeremy Miller SD28 & Senator Carrie Ruud SD10

Please call and support these good elected officials.

Thanks

Still looking for more support, especially if you have a State Senator or State Representative that is a Democrat, trying to drum up bipartisan support.

Thanks

FYI ALL: The House Bill https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF50&y=2015&ssn=0&b=house

has been referred to the
“Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Finance committee”
3-additional members signed on as Authors.

Call their members and the chair, urge approval and passage.

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=89009

FYI ALL: The Senate Bill https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF85&y=2015&ssn=0&b=senate

has been referred to the
“Environment and Energy Committee”

Call their members and the chair, urge approval and passage.

Chair: John Marty
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 323
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
651.296.2962 Regular Meeting Schedule:
Room 107 Capitol
Tuesday and Thursday 12:00 – 1:30 pm

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committees/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=3058&ls=89

I spoke with senator Carrie Ruud face to face last night and thanked her for supporting this. She said that this has definitely heated up the last few weeks. So I would think the word is getting out, keep voicing your opinion it works!

Spoke, well phone call was returned by their assistant, to both representative and senator. My representative is on board all the way. The senator is on board BUT I was told she was against how the law was written. I could not get a clear answer what that meant. I’m not stopping with the senators assistant answer.

This is not going away easily people.
Make some waves and squash this bug so we don’t get caught with our pants down,AGAIN!.

carroll58 wrote:

FYI ALL: The Senate Bill https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF85&y=2015&ssn=0&b=senate

has been referred to the
“Environment and Energy Committee”

Call their members and the chair, urge approval and passage.

Chair: John Marty
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 323
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
651.296.2962 Regular Meeting Schedule:
Room 107 Capitol
Tuesday and Thursday 12:00 – 1:30 pm

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committees/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=3058&ls=89

Give them a call! I did and had a pleasant conversation. They are looking for input from us all. Lets make it easy for them to support this bill.

I also called the sponsors of the bill and was to talk with senator Jeremy Millers office to thank him for his work. Another good conversation and much appreciated on both ends. From the sounds of it its looking promissing, still no reason not to call.
Looks like 3 more senators co sponsering the bill.
Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen district 08, also co authored the legacy bill. David Brown distrect 15 and I apologize for forgetting the third one.
and the DNR is on board.
like I say no reason not to call or wright.

Coming quick, live on the Radio, I’ll be on 105.7 The Ticket Outdoors

http://www.105theticket.com/common/page.php?pt=The+Ticket+Outdoors&id=4554&is_corp=0

If you missed it this evening, you’ll be able to listen to the Podcast tomorrow once posted by “The Ticket Outdoors”
http://www.105theticket.com/common/page.php?pt=The+Ticket+Outdoors+Podcast&id=9201&is_corp=0

They also re-air the show Sunday mornings.

OK ALL, I’ve been busy and here is something to comment on regarding some ideas for Legislation to replace the current law:

Things are happening behind the Scenes, there will very likely be replacement legislation. But, I’ll present as much as possible here as quickly as I can get it done.

I spoke with an Assistant Commissioner of the MnDNR today and discussed some of the ideas that have been presented here.

The one idea that seems to stand out from most posts and messages is wrapping any law into having this Education & Sticker or whatever it becomes in with the Watercraft Registration.

Ideas as to how it might work and be acceptable to a vast majority vary widely, but in summarizing them all I put this together.

I would like feedback either here or via messages about this:

1) A.I.S. Education (Format ?) would be tied to Watercraft Registration.

2) Basics would be that when you purchase your NEW or RENEWAL Watercraft Registration, you would be required to sign a statement agreeing to abide by Minnesota A.I.S. Law and Best Practices per the “Education Test, Booklet, etc” for preventing the spread of A.I.S.

Having the Signature with the Registration would state you have taken the test or received the material and will follow the Law, Thus nobody would have an excuse that they did not know the Law.

Yes, this all costs something and having this included in your Registration Fee would make it a 1-stop shop, maybe once, but more likely every 3-years when you have to Renew.

Would an extra Fee of $5 or $10 make a big difference to you?
What would you be willing to spend to help cover these costs of producing the educational materials?

This would be for ALL Watercraft Registered in Minnesota. My idea would also be for the Test Online or Materials would also be made available to out of state residents thru Sporting Goods shops, Resorts, Campgrounds, Conservation Officers, Watercraft Inspectors, MN travel Information Centers, etc.

The Penalty, as discussed likely to be gradually phased in would be a Petty Misdemeanor.

Now, Questions, Comments, or Other Ideas?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Repeal-MN-Statute-86B13/1593672207529357
Cooments welcome on Facebook too!

Carrol58 THX for all the info.

My issue is that we already have many ways that we are educated and inspected.

1) Correct me if I am wrong but can’t any law officer pull you over for a boat plug still in the drain hole?
2) Are we not inspected at just about all access points?
3) All access points already have tons of signs concerning AIS
4) Our boat might get decontaminated at a landing
5) We already have a decontamination station in most lake ridden counties
6) And now another AIS compliance fee like you are suggesting?

I don’t think the lake ASSociations should be directing the path of AIS. Look at Christmas Lake in the Twin Cities. Gated access and closed for how many hours each 24? Its a private lake during closed gated hours and they still got AIS zeebs. Doesnt make sense to add on another regulation and tax/fee IMHO.

If we can’t get the legislature to understand that enough is enough, then I agree with your outline as far as a way to get it done but not with a fee. Our state is so full of fees, laws, regs that it is impacting the numbers of Minnesota’ns that will continue to use our wonderful public resources or just decide its too much of a hassle to fish or hunt in the state of MN anymore. When is it enough? IMHO

Would an extra Fee of $5 or $10 make a big difference to you?
What would you be willing to spend to help cover these costs of producing the educational materials?

Carroll, while and extra $5 or $10 doesn’t sound like much…let’s stop for a moment and look at what I know we’re spending already.

$5. surcharge on BOAT REGISTRATION specifically for AIS NOW
Legacy funds going towards AIS
$10.5 million going to the counties
A portion of our licenses going towards AIS
General fund money going towards AIS
Questionable (at best) funding for the decontamination stations
I know I’m missing more at the state level…

This doesn’t cover the major AIS movers, the boat docks and boat lifts.

Then there’s the feasibility studies in the millions and the money it took to close L&D #1 (for what reason?)
We are also funding studies at the U of M (which I do support as long as we’re watching to ensure that money isn’t being wasted.)

Personally speaking for myself, I’m not interested in spending one more penny and would like to save some of the $dollars$ we are wasting now.

Well said Brian!

Minnesota knows where the source of the problem got its roots….Duluth harbor and Lake Superior’s shipping industry. Most pointedly, the salties. Why not just levy a large chunk of change on the shipping industry that brought the problems here in the first place. Anglers pay enough already.

They just don’t get it, even when we tell them.They see an easy mark to exploit to get money, signaling out one sector to pay for this.
The resource is enjoyed and used by all not just boaters so the resposibility of protecting our waters should be shared by all and not by one.

I think the signature is fine but a fee for that signature is not. I guess I have some more phone calls to make.
I understand it cost money for this education but evan at a $5 fee with the sum of 800,000 of boats registered in Mn over funds the education way to much. Where does that extra money go to after the pamphlets are printed up? This is really getting under my skin and getting into my joints.

$800,000 x 5 = $4,000,000 $800,000 x 10 = $8,000,000

I know we all can multply but a picture of refrance puts in perspective.

The solution as always is to kick those out of office who are part of the problem, and elect someone who willing to be part of the solution.

I suggest starting with anyone who has been there longer than 2 terms …… any level of government that is a good rule

I’m just glad to see that they finally are going to start charging the AIS fee for the stickers that have to go on docks now. It’s about time.
There are probably other fees and classes that need to be implemented on shoreline owners to get the word out that they are even more negligent than boat owners in their ability to pollute the lakes.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

Minnesota knows where the source of the problem got its roots….Duluth harbor and Lake Superior’s shipping industry. Most pointedly, the salties. Why not just levy a large chunk of change on the shipping industry that brought the problems here in the first place. Anglers pay enough already.

I get the take but anglers will still pay. If the shipping industry was on the hook I’m pretty sure they’ll pass it on.

Yup; gating boat ramps, and even closing lock and dam 1, is pretty much pointless if we don’t close the Sault Locks

I’ll keep my eye on the local DMV this spring. With the rush of turtles needing to get stickered I’m sure the city of Princeton will have traffic problems.

please post video of the turtles being run through the high-pressure/high-temp decontamination station

We all know PITA would never allow turtles to be re-routed. I’ve heard (but haven’t seen) the state will provide portable decon stations that can be placed in the route of the turtles. I will be interested to see the ramps, the angle entering will require a long ramp so not to inconvenience the turtles. What is also to be determined is what sort of adhesive will be used to apply the sticker.Last I heard the EPA will need to clear it.

I dont know much about all this stuff but i am thinking that all the money that has been waisted on this would have paid for alot of wash stations at our public landings heck i would even throu acouple bucks into one to make sure my boat is clean before leaving the lake thats just my 2cents.