Tedster
04-13-2005, 02:11 PM
From: Recreational Boating Association of Washington
Re: LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS-WE NEED BOATERS HELP
By now many of you have heard that SSB-5145 for Mandatory Boater
Safety Education passed the Washington State House of
Representatives, 68-Yea and 30-Nay. Working with the Washington
Alliance for Mandatory Boater Education (WAMBE), RBAW was
instrumental in helping pass this bill in both the House and the
Senate. Thank you everybody for your hard work and legislative
support! Your e-mails and phone calls were crucial in this success
Our next step is to get Senate concurrence on the minor amendment to
exempt commercial fishermen and professional operators from carrying
the Boater Education Card. The Senate indicated the amendment should
be no problem. RBAW agrees with the amendment.
This is our biggest victory yet for boater education in Washington,
and hopefully it will all be downhill to the Governors desk. We will
keep you posted on the final results. We are very optimistic, BUT WE
ARE NOT DONE with the Legislature just yet.
NEW SUBJECT: On completely different boating subject, we must ask
you to pick up your pen again, fire up your computer, or call you
legislator one more time.
You have probably heard reports in the Media that the legislature is
considering raising the gas tax in Washington State.
The purpose of this e-mail is not to debate the pros and cons of
raising the gas tax. We want to make sure that the tax paid on gas
used in boats is reinvested in boating.
When Washington Boaters go to the fuel dock and purchase gasoline for
a boat, boaters pay this GAS TAX, which is included in the price of
your marine fuel (not diesel). The majority of the now 28¢
(proposed to be increased) per gallon gas tax is a road tax and
intended to be paid by drivers of cars (not boats!) to maintain
highways, bridges,and ferries. Boats have been declared exempt from
road the tax, however the boater must file for the refund. (see info
at:
http://www.rbaw.org)
By law, the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC)
receives a percentage of the revenue created from the gas tax to fund
itsoutdoor recreation grant programs. Right now, there is a CAP in
place on the amount that goes back to the agency. If the state raises
the gas tax, it is only fair that the cap be removed and the money
generated by boaters is invested in boating.
PLEASE contact your State Senator and your 2 State Representatives
NOW and ask them to remove the cap on funds for the Interagency
Committee for Outdoor Recreation so that all funds go where they were
originally intended... if they do raise the gas tax.
You can go to < http://www.leg.wa.gov > to find your Legislators,
and e-mail or call them today. Sample message below.
By now you should be getting a lot of practice contacting your
legislators. If we can get the boater education bill passed and this
gas tax refund increased, this will be a great year for boating in
Washington. For every extra penny the IACreceives from boating, it
means one more big project they can fund each year. For information
on the boating facility grants go to:
http://www.iac.wa.gov/iac/grants/bfp.htm
Thanks for your continued support.
-David Kutz
RBAW President
--------------
Re: LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS-WE NEED BOATERS HELP
By now many of you have heard that SSB-5145 for Mandatory Boater
Safety Education passed the Washington State House of
Representatives, 68-Yea and 30-Nay. Working with the Washington
Alliance for Mandatory Boater Education (WAMBE), RBAW was
instrumental in helping pass this bill in both the House and the
Senate. Thank you everybody for your hard work and legislative
support! Your e-mails and phone calls were crucial in this success
Our next step is to get Senate concurrence on the minor amendment to
exempt commercial fishermen and professional operators from carrying
the Boater Education Card. The Senate indicated the amendment should
be no problem. RBAW agrees with the amendment.
This is our biggest victory yet for boater education in Washington,
and hopefully it will all be downhill to the Governors desk. We will
keep you posted on the final results. We are very optimistic, BUT WE
ARE NOT DONE with the Legislature just yet.
NEW SUBJECT: On completely different boating subject, we must ask
you to pick up your pen again, fire up your computer, or call you
legislator one more time.
You have probably heard reports in the Media that the legislature is
considering raising the gas tax in Washington State.
The purpose of this e-mail is not to debate the pros and cons of
raising the gas tax. We want to make sure that the tax paid on gas
used in boats is reinvested in boating.
When Washington Boaters go to the fuel dock and purchase gasoline for
a boat, boaters pay this GAS TAX, which is included in the price of
your marine fuel (not diesel). The majority of the now 28¢
(proposed to be increased) per gallon gas tax is a road tax and
intended to be paid by drivers of cars (not boats!) to maintain
highways, bridges,and ferries. Boats have been declared exempt from
road the tax, however the boater must file for the refund. (see info
at:
http://www.rbaw.org)
By law, the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC)
receives a percentage of the revenue created from the gas tax to fund
itsoutdoor recreation grant programs. Right now, there is a CAP in
place on the amount that goes back to the agency. If the state raises
the gas tax, it is only fair that the cap be removed and the money
generated by boaters is invested in boating.
PLEASE contact your State Senator and your 2 State Representatives
NOW and ask them to remove the cap on funds for the Interagency
Committee for Outdoor Recreation so that all funds go where they were
originally intended... if they do raise the gas tax.
You can go to < http://www.leg.wa.gov > to find your Legislators,
and e-mail or call them today. Sample message below.
By now you should be getting a lot of practice contacting your
legislators. If we can get the boater education bill passed and this
gas tax refund increased, this will be a great year for boating in
Washington. For every extra penny the IACreceives from boating, it
means one more big project they can fund each year. For information
on the boating facility grants go to:
http://www.iac.wa.gov/iac/grants/bfp.htm
Thanks for your continued support.
-David Kutz
RBAW President
--------------